NOTES,
CRITICAL AND PRACTICAL,
ON THE BOOK OF
JUDGES:
DESIGNED AS A GENERAL HELP TO
BIBLICAL READING AND INSTRUCTION.
By GEORGE BUSH,
PROF. OF IIEB. AND ORIENT. LIT. N. Y. CITY UNIVERSITY.
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1857.




,ntered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1844, by
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INTRODUCTION.
1 l. Title; its Origin and Import,
TEra seventh book in the received order of the Hebrew Scriptures is
termed tb=1  lShophetim, Judges; a name derived from'llt shaplat,
to judge, to determine causes, to do justice, to vindicate; and also, in general, to rule, govern, regulate, and applied here to the chief rulers who
governed the Hebrew Republic from the days of Moses till the time of
Saul. because ruling and judging are so intimately connected in the
East, that sitting in judgment is one of the principal employments of the
oriental sovereign.  From this it will be seen that the title, as thus applied, is to be taken in a wider sense than the same term conveys with
us, viz., persons appointed to determine litigated questions, and to pronourn~'Wbh sentence of the law in criminal cases.  Here, on the other
hand, it is used to denote those occasional leaders and chief magistrates
of the Israelites who led out the people to war against their enemies,
and after having delivered them from the oppression of the neighboring
nations, exercised each during peace the office of chief ruler and judge
of Israel. Still the predominant idea conveyed by the term is rather
that of military commanders, or more properly avenging deliverers, than
of judicial officers, as this latter function came more within the province of the priests.
As the government of the Hebrew nation was strictly a Theocracy,
in which Jehovah himself was the chief magistrate, no provision was
made for the appointment of any permanent or general ruler of the
people. The High Priest was a kind of prime minister of Jehovah,
who exercised a general superintendence over all the great interests of
the nation, when there was no civil or military ruler especially chosen
for the purpose. Each of the tribes had also their respective chiefs,
clothed with the primitive patriarchal powers, and in the ordinary state
of things these arrangements were sufficient for the due administration
of the affairs of the people. But when peculiar emergencies arose, in
consequence of the hostilities provoked by the apostasy and rebellion
of the Israelites, extraordinary officers were called into requisition, on
whom was bestowed the appellation of Judges. They arose from time




iV                       INTRODUCTION.
to time, as their agency was needed, and for the most part when the
tokens of a public repentance induced God to compassionate their calamities, and afford them deliverance.  They were sometimes called by
God himself to the office they sustained, and sometimes elected by the
people. The authority with which they were clothed on their first appointment, was in some instances surrendered when they had achieved
the objects to which it was owing, and in others was continued during
life. They were not all, however, military leaders, and some of them
appear to have ruled simultaneously over different tribes; and this IS
one of the circumstances which render the chronology of this period so
perplexing'They did not,' says Mr. Kitto,'transmit their dignity to their descendants, neither did they appoint successors. They could not enact
laws or impose taxes on the people, though they made peace or %war,
and in their judicial capacity decided causes without appeal. Yet all
this power seems to have been rather the result of character and influence, than of any authority recognized as inherent in the office. No
salary or income was attached to it, nor did they receive emoluments
of any kind. They had no external marks of distinction; they were
surrounded by no circumstances of pomp or ceremony; they had no
courtiers, guard, train, or equipage.  They were, in general, men of
moderate desires, and content to deserve well of their country, without
seeking to aggrandize or enrich themselves. They always considered
and conducted themselves as specially called of God, relying upon him
in all their enterprises, and making it their chief care to bring their
countrymen to acknowledge, worship, and obey him. Though evincing
in some melancholy instances the infirmities of human nature, yet they
were on the whole models of true patriotism and of moral worth, and
eminently free from the public crimes, which in all ages have so notoriously flown from the possession and the lust of power.'
It is worthy of remark, that the Carthaginians, who were descended
from the Tyrians, and spoke Hebrew, called their chief magistrates by
the same name: but the Latins, whose language lacks the sh of the ancient Hebrews and Carthaginians, wrote the word with a sharp s, and
adding a Latin termination, denominated them Siffetes; a class of fuinc
tionaries very nearly resembling the archions of the Athenians, and the
dictators of the Romans.
~ 2. Author and Age.
The authorship of the book cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Some ascribe it to Samuel, some to Hezekiah, and some to
Ezra, who is supposed to have compiled it from the memoirs furnished




INTRODUCTION.                          V
by the respective judges of their own government. This hypothesis is
founded mainly on what is said ch. 18. 30,' He and his son were priests
to the tribe of Dan, until the day of the captivity of the land,' from
which it has been imagined that it was not written till after the Babylonish captivity.  But this conjecture is evidently erroneous; as upon
comparing Ps. 78. 60, 61, and 1 Sam. 4. 11, with that passage, it appears that the captivity intended by the historian was a particular captivity of the tribe of Dan, or of that part of it which was settled in the
north, and which took place about the time the ark was taken by the
Philistines. Besides, the total absence of Chaldee words sufficiently
proves the date of the book to have been several centuries anterior to
the great Babylonish captivity.  Such words are of frequent occurrence
in books known to have been written posterior to that event. Most of
the Jewish and Christian commentators assign the authorship to Samuel; probably because internal evidence places it pretty clearly about
his timne, and in his time he is the most likely person to whom the writing of it could be ascribed. That it was written after the establishment
of the regal government, appears from the habit the author has of saying, that such and such events happened in the time when'there was
no king in Israel;' which renders it evident that there was a king when
he wrote. But that it was written very soon after the establishment of
kingly government is no less clear from other passages. Thus we see,
from ch. 1. 21, that the Jebusites were still in Jerusalem in the time of
the author; but this people were expelled from that city early in the
reign of David, 2 Sam. 5. 6.  So also in 2 Sam. 11. 21, there is a distinct reference to a fact recorded Judg. 9. 53, which affords another
proof that this book was written before the second of Samuel.. On the
whole, there is little doubt that the book of Judges was composed in its
present form, either in the reign of Saul or during the first seven years
of the reign of David, and this renders it more probable that it was
compiled from the public registers and records by Samuel, than by any
of the other prophets, priests, or kings, to whom it has been attributed.
~ 3. Structure and Division.
The book is not constructed with reference to the precise chronological order of the events narrated.  It is clearly divisible into two leading
parts; the first embracing the history of the Judges from Othniel to
Samson, and extending to the end of the sixteenth chapter; the other,
occupying the rest of the book, forms a sort of appendix, narrating certain memorable transactions which occurred not long after the death of
Yoshua, but which are thrown together at the end of the book, that the




Vi                         INTRODUCTION.
continuous thread of the preceding narrative might not be interrupted
What relates to the two last Judges, Eli and Samuel, is related in the
following book.
~ 4. Clhronology.
The Chronology of this book is exceedingly embarrassed and difficult, and there is little agreement among learned men respecting it.
This arises chiefly from the facts related being reckoned from different
eras which cannot now be exactly ascertained; and also from judges
being thought by some to be successive, whom others consider to have
been contemporary in different parts of Palestine.  Without reciting the
details of the different hypotheses proposed to solve these difficulties, it
may be sufficient to state, that Dr. Hales makes the whole period from
the death of Joshua to the death of Samson to be 400 years, while Usher
and Lightfoot make it not far from 300. After all it is doubtful whether, from the nature of the book, it is possible to adjust the narrative
into a regular chronological series.  It appears, for the most part, to
have been composedQf loose historical memoranda, having little relation to each other, and put together by the compiler, like the narratives
of the Evangelists in the New Testament, without the least view to a
methodical arrangement. Accordingly in our remarks on the book we
purposely leave all chronological questions untouched.
~ 5. Scope and Character.
The book of Judges forms an important link in the history of the
Israelites, and is very properly inserted between the books of Joshua and
Samuel, as the Judges were the intermediate governors between Joshua
and the kings of Israel.  It furnishes a lively description of a fluctuating and unsettled people, a striking picture of the disorders and dangers
which prevailed in a republic without magistracy, when' the highways
were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through by-ways,' when few
prophets arose to control the people, and' every one did that which was
right in his own eyes.' It exhibits the contest of true religion with
superstition; displays the benefits that flow from the former; and represents the miseries and evil consequences of impiety; affording, in
fine, a-complete verification of the warnings and predictions of Moses,
that the children of Israel should be prosperous or unfortunate, according as they obeyed or violated the divine commands. From the scenes
of discord and violence which darken this history, Paul has presented
us with some illustrious examples of faith, in the instances of Gideon,
Barak, Sainson, and Jephthah; and Dr. Graves remarks, that'by a
superficial reader) the whole period under the Judges may be easily




INTRODUCTION.                         vii
mistaken for an uninterrupted series of idolatries and crimes, from his
not observing that the lapses which incurred punishment, and the divine
deliverances which attended repentance, are related so fully as to occupy
almost the whole narrative; while long periods, when, under the government of the Judges, the people followed God and the land enjoyed
peace, are passed over in a single verse, as productive of> no events
which required a particular detail.'
The whole period is distinguished by a display of extraordinary
events, and by the most glaring and miraculous proofs of divine interposition. The history of God's government must necessarily be characterized by the demonstrations of his immediate agency; and the selected
instruments of his will may well be expected to exhibit a succession of
unprecedented exploits. It should, however, be observed that some of
the actions here recorded were justifiable only on the supposition of a
divine warrant, which superseded all general rules of conduct. Without this, the deeds of Ehud, and of J.ael, might be pronounced censurable for their treachery, however commendable the motives by which they
were prompted. In respect, too, to some other incidents, ]t is obvious that
the sacred writer by no means vindicates all that he relates; and that
the indiscriminate massacre of the people of Jabesh-Gilthu., and the rape
of the virgins at Shiloh, stamped as they are with the evi4ent marks of
injustice and cruelty, cannot possibly be justified on the principles which
the Scriptures elsewhere furnish. In all such cases, and in the recorded
characters of God's ministers in general who are brought before us in
this book, we perceive the traces of human infirmity; and while we
discriminate between the lights and shades that mark the picture, it
cannot be questionable what parts of their conduct we are called to
imitate and what to avoid.
~ 6. Chronological Arranxgement of Contents.
We have already remarked (~ 3), that the book consists of two distinct portions. of which the latter is to be regarded as a kind of appendix to the former. This portion, which is composed of the last five
chapters, embraces the narrative of events that occurred much earlier
in the thread of the history than would be inferred from their position
in the order of the book. The following tabular synopsis gives the
entire contents, according to a just chronological arrangement.
PART I.-Interr'egvinm after tlhe death of Joshua.
1. The Israelites destroy several cities of the Canaanites,
and make others tributary to them,    -    -    CHAPTER I.
2. The people reproved by the Angel for not exterminating
the Canaanitish nations,            -               II. 1-5.




Viii                       INTRODU CTrON.
3. The character of the people after the death of Joshua, II. 6-10,
4. Introduction of idolatry among them,  -         XVII. XVIII
5. History of the Levite of Ephraim; the murder of his
concubine by the Benjamites of Gibeah; and the war
of the other tribes with them,    -    -    -    XIX-XXI.
6. The corruption of religion and manners among the Israelites, and their intermixture with the Canaanitish
nations,                                            I II.  1 -III. 7.
PART II.- The History of the Oppressions of the Israelites, and their De.
liverances by the Judges.
i. The servitude of the eastern Israelites under Cushan
Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, and their deliverance by Othniel,         -                        III. 8-11.
2. Servitude of the eastern Israelites under Eglon, the
king of Moab, and their deliverance by Ehud,     III. 12-30.
3. The western Israelites delivered by Shamgar,      -    III. 31.
4. Servitude of the, northern Israelites under Jabin, king
of Canaan, and their deliverance by Deborah and
Barak,                                                  IV.
The triumphant song of Deborah and Barak,  -    -        V.
5. The eastern and northern Israelites enslaved by Midian, and their deliverance by Gideon,    -    -    VI-VIII.
6. The usurpation and death of Abimelech,       -    -    -  IX.
7. The history of the administration of Tola and Jair,    X. 1-6.
8. The oppression of the Israelites by the Philistines and
Ammonites, and their deliverance by Jephthah. X. 7-XII. 7.
9. The administration of Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon,       XII. 8-15.
10. The oppression of the Israelites by the Philistines, and
their deliverance by Samson,.   -    -    -      XIII-XVI.
~ 7. Commentators.
The Commentators upon this book are for the most part the same as
those who have undertaken to illustrate the book of Joshua, and whom
the reader will find enumerated in the Introduction to that book. Of
these the most important are the following:SEBASTIANI, SCHMIDII Commentasiits in Lib?'m Judicuzm, in qito prcdter
diligentem textus ex.plicationem, pracipuce questiones et loci communes, qltos
vocant, ad singula capita et sub fJined  appendix cAronologica adduntulr.
Argentorati.  1706.  4to.
Of the elder commentators it would not be easy to point out a superior to Schmid. For accurate analysis, for strict and careful explica



INTRODUCTION.                           ix
tion of words and phrases, for rigid preciseness in fixing the connexion,
and for skill in drawing out his didactic inferences, he is almost unrivalled.  He is indeed prone to dwell unduly upon trifles, but this was
the fault of the age, rather than of the man.  His works are a rich
store-house of biblical exposition, and the Commentary on Judges is the
most finished of his productions.  Walch says of it, in his' Bibliotheca
Theologica,' that it is' a distinguished work, at the head of all the commentaries which our countrymen have written.  The author treats
every thing, both words and things, diligently, learnedly, and copiously,
and whoever consults this work, can easily dispense with all others.'
Buddeus, in his' Isagoge,' is equally decided in his testimony to the
merits of Schmid as a commentator.
NIcoLAI SERRARII.JUdices et Ruth explanati.  Moguntie.  1609.  Fol.
VICTORINI STRIGELII Liber Jsudiculni, argsumentis et scholiis illestratus.
Lipsile. 1575, 1586. 8vo.
DAvIDIS CRYTRjEI in historiam Judicum populi Israel dilucidus et per
spicuius commentarius, cunt inserta illises tem7poris historiar'un  chronologia.
Francofurti.  1589.  8vo.
Jo. ADAMI OSIANDRI Codmmentarius in Lib'unm Judicum, exhibens sacrum
curm exegesi textunm, lectionuns et versionumn varzetatem, conciliatas antilogias, chlronologiamn, utililmn qucestionunm solutiones, objectiones cum vindiciis
observationes philolo gicas, et locos communes doctrinales.   Tubinge.
168:&  Fol.' To be enumerated among the best interpretations of this book.' Walch.
MARTINI BUCE:RI Cosmmentarius in Lib-'um Judicurm.  Parisiis.  1554,
1563. Fol.
PETRI MARTYRI Commentarius in Librumn  Judicum.  Tiguri.  1561.
Londini. 1564. Fol.
JAcoBI BONFRERI Comment rit s in Josuam, Judices, et RutLh.  Parisiis.
1631, 1659. Fol.
Jo. ENR. GRiABII Epistola ad clarissmn. vir. Joannent Milliurn, qua ostenditur, Libri Judicum genuinam LXX. interpretum versionemr eam esse, quam
MS. codex Ale7ndrinmus e/xhibet; Romanant autemn editionem, quod ad dictum libsrum, ab slla prorsuis diversam, atque eandeL cum Hesychiano esse.
Oxoniae.  1707.  4to.
JOHN  COLERIDCrE Miscellaneous Dissertations arising from Judg. xvni.
and xvrin. Lond. 1768. 8vo.
CHRIST. FRED. SCHNURRER R. Tanchunt Hierosyleuritamn   ad libros Vet.
Testameniti Commentarii Arabici Specimen, tna cuzm  annotationibnis ad
aliquot loca libri Judicum.  Tugingme.  1791.  4to.
WERN. CARL. LUDw. ZIEGLER Bemerkuzngen fiber das Btch, der Richter
aus dem Geist des Heldenalters; nebst Beurtheilunag der griesclischet  Vee



X                           INTRODUCTION.
sionem, enld ihsr?'  Abweichue!;g vom OQriigicaltext; in Auctoris Theologischen
Abhandlngen, erster' Band.  Gotting.  1791.  8vo. pp. 262. seqq.
HEINR. EBERH. GOTTL. PAULUS Bliclce i-n das Bucch der  Richer, walerscheinlich den altesten Rest an7odes altehebr'aischen Liter'atn'r, in Auctoris
Theolog. Exeget. Conseyiatos'istm, P. II. (Heidelberg, 1822.) p. 180.
seqq.
GOTTL. LUDW. STUDER das Buch der' Richter gsaanimatisch qtnd historisch
erklidrt.  Bern.  183.5.  8vo.
A valuable and well digested work; devoted principally to philological
illustration, and, after the German fashion, keeping studiously clear of
every practical remarlr, and of every thing, in fact, beyond the bare letter.
In addition to the above, much valuable matter bearing upon the elucidation of different parts of this book, will be found in' Lowth's Iebrew Poetry,'' Green's Poetical Parts of the Old Testament,' Herder's
Spirit of Hebrew Poetry,' and Prof. Robinson's Interpretation of Judges
ch. 5, the Song of Deborah and Barak, in the' Biblical Repository,'
Nlo. III.  June, 1831.  See also Schnurrer, in' Eichorn's Repert. vol.
ix., p. 54. See a summary of its contents in Actis Eruditt. Leips.
An. 1691, p. 167; and an essay by Schnurrer, in Paulus N. Repert.
vol. i., p. 117, seqq.-Reland, Dissert. ii., p. 314.  1706.  Hottinger,
Exercit. Antimor.  pp. 105. seqq.  Smeg. Or. p. 437.  Hist. Or. pp.
40, 120.  Disp. Lib. V. T. Supposit., No. I.-Exeg. Handb. A. T
vol. iii., p. 18. seqq,




THE BOOK OF JUDGES.
CHAPTER   I.               for us against the  Canaanites
\JOW   after the death of Josh- first to fight against them?
ua it came to pass, that the   2 And the LORD said, b Judah
children  of Israel a asked  the  shall go up: behold, I have deLORD, saying, Who shall go up  livered the land into his hand.
a Numb. 27. 21. clh. 20. 1.8.             b Gen. 49. 8.
CHAPTER  I.               do not inquire what individual should
1. After t/he deat/h of Josiha. How  be chosen as successor to Joshua and
long after we have no means of de- commander of the forces, but which
termining; probably not long, for of the tribes shall take the precedenOthniel, the first judge after Joshua's cy in the expedition. Whether each
decease, had been his contemporary, tribe was ambitious of the honor or
and was the son-in-law of Caleb. —   fearful of the danger of being first,
~ As/led the Losd.   The original it is not possible to determine, but by
phrase is the usual one for consult- common consent it was resolved to
ing the oracle, or inquiring by the refer the matter to God, the proper
ministry  of the high-priest, and  arbiter in every doubtful case. Hapthrough the niedium  of the Urim  py is it for us that we have the same
and Thummim, the will of Jehovah  infallible source of guidance to which
as to the great matters of duty and to apply in all our perplexities. —--
policy. As we read of no particu- ~f Wlho shall go up for us?  The
lar person, who succeeded Joshua common term for a military expedias commander-in-chief of the Isra- tion.  See Is. 7. 1; Jer. 50. 3.  The
elites, it is probable that every tribe phrase'for us' puts the' going up'
was governed by one or more of its in relation to the whole body of the
elders for a number of years, and  people.   The success of whatever
that in their wars with the Canaan- tribe took the lead would be an eariles they also were their military  nest and  assurance of the success
leaders.  As the people were novw of the rest in obtaining complete
becoming more numerous and capa- possession  of their respective alble of' occupying' a larger extent of lotments.
territory, they deemed it expedient   2. Juda/h  shacll go up. That is the
to renew the war, but having no sin- tribe of Judah, not a person of this
gle head to take the lead in the en- name. So in v. 3, Simeon stands for
terprise, they very properly sought the tribe of Simeon, and so also gendirection from above as to the man- erally in the sequel.   The precener in which the war should be con- dency was given to Judah, because
ducted. It will be observed that they  it was the most numerous, powerful,




12                          JUDGES.                   [b  C. 1425
3 And Judah said unto Simeon   4 And Judah went up, and the
his brother, Come up with me LORD delivered the Canaanites
into my lot, that we may fight and  the  Perizzites  into  their
against the Canaanites; and c I hand: and they slew of them in
likewise will go with thee into IBezek ten thousand men.
thy lot.  So Simeon went with   5 And they found Adoni-bezek
him.. in  Bezek:  and  they  fought
c ver. 17.                      d 1 Sam. 11. 8.
and valiant of all the tribes, and that also the lot of Simeon fell within
which the Lord designed should pos- that of Judah.  This laid a natural
sess the pre-eminence in all respects, ground for their union and co-operaas being the one from  which the tion in the enterprise.'Observe
Messiah was to spring, and for that here that the strongest should not
reason crowned with the' excellency despise but desire the assistance even
of dignity' above all its fellows. Ju- of those that are weaker. It becomes
dah therefore must lead in this per- Israelites to help one another against
ilous enterprise; ~ for God not only Canaanites; and allChristians, even
appoints service according to the those of different tribes, to strengthen
strength and ability he has given, one another's hands against the combut' would also have the burden of mon interests of Satan's kingdom.'
honor and the burden of labor go Henry.  Caleb was probably comtogether.'  Those who have the mander in this war.
precedency in rank, reputation, or   4. The Loid delivered the Can.aa'ninfluence, should always be disposed ites and the Pecizzites.  Or, Heb.
to go before others in every good' the Canaanite, even the Perizzite.'
work, undismayed by danger, diffi- It is not clear that distinct tribes are
culty, or obloquy, that they may en- intended.-~ They slew ofl teem in
courage others by their example. —  Bezek, &c. That is, in the city and
t I thave delivered the land into his the adjacent territory.  This city is
hand. Have determined that he shall supposed to have been in the tribe of
subdue it.  Not the whole land, but Judah, though there was another lythe land or district destined for his ing to the south of Beth-shean (Scyinheritance. This God has so firmly thopolis) seven miles from Sichem,
purposed to deliver into his hand where Saul reviewed his army bethat it might be considered as already fore marching against Jabesh-Giledone, and such assurance of victory ad. This verse is to be considered
would naturally give courage for merely as a brief compend of the narthe contest.                       rative which is more fully expanded
3. JsdaAh said snlto Siieon-come in v. 5.-7. No feature of the historitup with me, &c.  This proposition cal style of the Scriptures is more
was made to Simeon because these common than this.
tribes being descended, by their pro-   5. And they found Adoni-bezek.
genitors, from the same father and That is,' lord or king of Bezek;'
mother, Jacob and Leah, were breth- probably the common title of the
ren in the strictest sense, and because kings of' that place.  The original




B. C. 1425.]              CHAPTER  I.                               13
against him, and they slew the   7 And Adoni-bezek said,ThreeCanaanites and the Perizzites.   score and ten kings, having their
6 But Adoni-bezek. fled; and  thumbs and their great toes cut
they  pursued  after  him, and  off, gathered  their meat under
caught him,  and  cut off his my table; eas I have done, so
thumbs and his great toes.           eLev 24.19. 1 Sam. 15. 33. Jam. 2. 13.
word         ma ndtza, found, is some- sioned in the act of running or walktimes used to denote ahostile encoun- ing, the disabling effect to an Orienter; to attack, to surpr'ise, and pro- tal is infinitely greater than to an
bably has that sense here. The first European.  The feet and toes are
word of this verse,'and,' would be much employed in all the handicraft
better rendered'for" in accordance operations throughout the East, and
with the remark made above respect- in many cases the loss of the great
ing the drift of v. 5-7.            toes would completely disqualify a
6. Ct off his thuZmbs and his great man from  earning his subsistence.
toes. Heb.' the thumbs of his hands Besides the many little active operaand of his feet.'  Either by express tions which they are tutored to exe.
direction  or secret impulse from  cute, the artisans, as they work with
God, who thus purposed to'mete to their hands, seated on the ground,
him the measure he had meted to hold fast and manage all their work
others.''The  Hindoos call the with their feet and toes, in which the
thumb the revia-viril, the great fin- great toes have a very prominent
ger of the hand, and the large toe is duty to perform. Ward, in his' View
named the great finger of the foot. of the Hindoos,' has fully shown to
This punishment was exceedingly what excellent uses the toes are apcommon in ancient times, and was plied in India.'They are secondinflicted principally on those who hand fingers; they are called feethad committed some flagrant offence' fingers in Bengalee.  In his own
with their hands and their feet. Thus, house a Hindoo  nalkes use of them
those convicted of forgery, or nu- to fasten a clog to his feet by means
merous thefts, had their thumbs cut of a button, which slips between the
off.  The practice is abolished, but two middle toes. The tailor, if he
its memory will remain, as it is now  does not thread his needle, certainly
one of the scare-crows of the nursery  twists his thread with them. The
and domestic life:'If you steal any cook holds his knife with his toes
more, I will cut off your thumbs.' while he cuts fish, vegetables, &c.' Let me find out the thief; and I will The joiner, the weaver, &c., could
soon  have  his thumbs' —Robertts. not do without them, and almost
The loss of the thumbs would disa- every native  has twenty different
ble them  from  drawing  the bow or uses for his toes.' —Pict. Bible.
handling to advantage the sword or   7. Thr.ee-score and ten kings, &e.
the spear, and so would in effect ut- Not perhaps all at one time, but first
terly incapacitate them for war.' As and last, during his whole reign. It
to the loss of the great toes, indepen- would seem that wasting civil wars
dently of the inconvenience occa- had very much prevailed among the
2




14                           JUDGES.                     [B. C, 1425
God  bath requited me.   And   8 (Now fthe children of Judah
they brought him to Jerusalem, had  fought against Jerusalem,
and there he died.                            f See Josh. 15. 63.
Canaanites previous to the arrival of have proceeded only from the most
the Israelites, and this circumstance barbarous and  brutal dispositions.
probably tended to facilitate their But we have cause to be humbled
conquests.'Judah,' says Lightfoot, for human nature that such propen-'in conquering Adoni-bezek did in sities still adhere to it. This is evieffect conquer seventy kings.'  In dent from the pleasure which childthe case of this cruel tyrant we can- ren often take in torturing insects
not fail to perceive -the uncertainty and animals, and in vexing and tyof human greatness.  The mighty rannizing over those who are weaker
potentate is here reduced to the con- than themselves-a disposition which
dition of a prisoner, to the very ex- in after life displays itself in a fondtremity of meanness and disgrace; ness for despotic sway, in a vindicshowing that pre-eminence in station tive spirit, and in a career of ruthless
often leads only to a sad pre-emi- ambition. But God is known by the
nence in misery and distress.'Let judgments that he executeth, and this
not the highest be proud, nor the cruel Canaanite  was in his turn
strongest secure, for they know not made to feel the anguish which he
how low they may be brought before had so wantonly inflicted upon oththey die.' —Henry.   ~r As I have ers. The Israelites were led to deal
done, so God hatl requited mne.  A  with him  on the principle of their
striking  acknowledgment, extorted own law  of retaliation,'an eye for
from a guilty conscience, of the re- an eye, a tooth  for a tooth,' &c.;
tributive justice of Heaven.' When  although, as it would have been inGod's judgments awaken the con- consistent with those gracious affecscience we shall own his righteous- tions which, as the Lord's chosen
ness, and stand self-condemned be- people, they were bound to exercise,
fore him.'-Hcaweis.  What pretences they did not reduce him to the same
he had for warring  against these ignominy or insult over him  with
kings, we know not; but thus to in- the same  arrogance  that he had
stilt over the misfortunes of the van- shown towards others.  Thus it is
quished, to maim  their persons, and that God sometimes malies men's
compel them, like dogs, to gather up punishments to correspond with their
the crunlbs from  under his table, ar- crimes; and in this case, notwithgued a degree of cruelty which one standing all the feelings of humanicould scarcely have conceived to  ty, we cannot but acquiesce in the
exist in a rational being.   As the judgment that befel him,  or help
personal injuries he had inflicted being conscious of a secret satisfacwould of course disable them  fromn tion that the same evils he had so
harming him  as long as they were cruelly inflicted upon others should
kept in bondage, thus to sport himn- be brought home to himself.
self in their miseries, was a conduct   8. Had foluht agaiinst Jeirusalem
of nure gratuitous cruelty, and could and liad taken it.   This event of




B. C. 1425.]                CHAPTER   I.                               15
and had taken it, and smitten it bron before was h Kirjath-arba:)
with the edge of the sword, and  and  they  slew   Sheshai,  and
set the city on fire.)               Ahiman, and Talmai.
9 gAnd afterward the children   11'And from  thence he went
9f Judah  went down  to fight against the inhabitants of Debir;
against  the   Canaanites   that and the  name of Debir before
dwelt in the mountain, and in  was Kirjath-sepher:
the south, and in the valley.          12 kAnd  Caleb  said, He that
10 And  Judah  went against smiteth Kirjath-sepher, andtakthe  Canaanites  that dwelt in  eth it, to him  will I give Achsah
Hebron: (now  the name of He- my daughter to wife.
J                                   Josh. 10.36. and 11.21. and 15. 13.'Josh. 14. 15. and 15. 13, 14. i Josh. 15. 15.
Josh. 10. 36. an.21. and 5. 13.    k Josh. 15. 16, 17.
prior occurrence  is mentioned here the Cancaactites, &c.  That is, under
to intimate how it happened that they the conduct of Caleb, as we learn
were able to convey the captive king  from  Josh. 15.  14-19, where subto Jerusalem.  It was because they  stantially the same account with the
had before taken that city, and it present occurs.  How this has hapwas now  in their possession.  The  pened; whether the writer of' Judges
reason of removing him thither was took this narrative from  Joshua, or
perhaps to make him  a more public the writer of Joshua inserted his from
spectacle of the just judgments of Judges, it is impossible to determine.
God against barbarous and blood- That both accounts relate the same
thirsty tyrants.  But though the city events there can be no doubt, but
is said to have been taken, yet the whether those events occurred before
hill of Zion, as appears from  the or after the death of Joshua, is a
subsequent history, was still held by point which we despair of ever havthe Jebusites till the time of David. ing satisfactorily settled.   As the
- iT Set the city on fire.   Heb. discussion of the question would en=n 1rt'     li.n  hdi shillte/ta  bfsshA, cumber our pages with matter of
ccst l/e city into tihefir'e; an inverted  little profit to the general reader, we
phraseology, peculiar to the Hebrew. waive it entirely without offering a.
Thus Ps. 74. 7,' They have cast fire opinion.-~  Slew   SheshZai, and
into tile sanctuary;' Heb.'they have  Ahiman, and Tolmzci.  In the paralcast thy sanctuary into the fire.' Jeel, lel passage, Josh  15. 14. Caleb is
3.-18,' The  hills shall flow  with  said merely to have'driven out'
milnk;' Heb' milk shall flow with  these sons of Anak. The probability
hills.' This burning the city or a is, that the words before us give the
part of it, was probably in token of  true sense, and that they were actutheir detestation of the idolatry which  ally slain.  An enemy driven out is
had been practised there.            not necessarily understood tobe slain,
9. i. Tc7, doln, to fig/lt, &c.  That but whoever is slain  is virtually
is, descended to the hill-country ly- driven out, by being expelled from
ing  outh of Jerulsalem.             amonn'  the living.
10. 4Utd Jtedah wento 2ot   gnioist   11-15.  See oii Josh. 15. 15-19.




16                           JUDGES.                    [B. C. 144J
13 And Othniel the son of Ke- Caleb gave her the upper springs
naz,'Caleb's younger brother, and the nether springs.
took it:  and he gave him Ach-   16 oAnd the children  of the
sah his daughter to wife.           Kenite,  Moses' father-in-law
14 m And it came to pass, when  went up out p of the city of palmshe came to him, that she moved  trees with the children of Judah
him to ask of her father a field: into the wilderness of Judah,
and she lighted from off her ass; which  lie/h  in  the  south  of
and Caleb said unto her, What qArad;  rand  they  went and
wilt thou?                         dwelt among the people.
15 And  she said  unto  him,   17 sAnd Judah went with Si"Give me a blessing: for thou  meon his brother, and they slew
hast given me a south land; give  the  Canaanites  that inhabited
me also springs of water.  And Zephath, and utterly destroyed
I ch. 3. 9.  m Josh. 15. 18, 19.  n Gen.  o ch. 4. 11, 17. 1 Sam. 15. 6. 1 Chron. 2. 65.
33. 11.                             Jer. 35. 2. p Deut. 34. 3. q Numb. 21. 1.
r Numb. 10. 3z. s ver. 3.
16. The children of the IKenite, Mo- the Amalekites, he sent a message
ses' father in-law.  That is, of Jeth- to the Kenites to depart from among
ro; but why he is called the Kenite them, as God  would not destroy
it is not easy to say.  The probabil- them with that devoted people. From
ity is, that he inhabited the country them descended l Hemath, the father
occupied by a people of this name, of the house of Rechab, of whom
Num. 24. 21. 22, and on this account we have so interesting an account,
in process of time came to be distin- Jerem. 35. —--     Arad. Of this place
guished  by the same appellation. see on Num. 21. 1. L-        And they
Whether Jethro himself accompa- wenzt and dwelt, &c.  That is, the
nied Israel into Canaan, according to greatest part of them.  Some- few
Moses' invitation, Num. 10. 32, is families were dispersed in other planot clear, but that his posterity did is ces, as we find the tent of Jael, who
certain.  After their arrival, they at was of this stock, far to the north, in
first pitched their tents near Jericho, the tribe of Naphtali, when Sisera
called also'the city of Palm trees,' took shel'er there, ch. 4. 17.which lay in the lot of Benjamin,  T Among the people. Heb. =.t' Mr
and here remained during the life- eth lhaam  that people; viz. the childtime of Joshua.   After his death, ren of Judah resident there.' They
for reasons now unknown, they unit. who willingly share with God's Ised with the tribe of Judah, and went rael in their sufferings in the wvil'
with them to attack Arad. After the derness, shall share also with themn
conquest of that country, the Kenites in the inheritance in glorvy.' —Haweis.
established themselves there and re-   17. And J1edah went witvh Sirmeon,
mained in it mingled with the Amal- &c.  According to previous comekites, and leading a quiet life re- pact, v. 3. The thread of the narra,
mote from public affairs, till the days tive which had been interrupted fobr
of Saul.  When this king received  the purpose of introducing the forea commandment from God to destroy I going account of Caleb and Othniel,




B. C  1425.]             CHAPTER  I.                             17
it. And the name of the city 19 And xthe LORD was with
was called t Hormah.              Judah; and he drave out the in18  Also  Judah  took  u Gaza habitants of the mountain; but
with the coast thereof, and As- could not drive out the inhabkelon with  the coast thereof, itants of the  valley, because
and Ekron with the coast thereof. they had y chariots of iron.
t Num. 21. 3. Josh. 19.4. u Josh. 11. 22,  x ver. 2. 2 Kings 18. 7. y Josh. 17. 16, 18.
is here resumed. —~' Slew the Ca- and remained for ages an almost innaanites that inhabited Zephath.  A  cessant source of annoyance  and
valley called Zephathah, is mention- vexation to the Israelites.
ed 2 Chron. 14. 19, as lying near   19. Drave out the inhabitants of
Maresha in the southern section of the mountain. Or, Heb.  f11-i nt'l2)
Judah, where Asa gained a signal yoresh eth hihr, possessed the mozunvictory over the Ethiopian army. tain. The idea of the original howThis is probably the same place. It ever is, possessing in consequence of
was now destroyed in pursuance of a previous expulsion.  If the former
a vow taken by Israel before the sense of' driving out' be retained,
death of Moses, Num. 21. 1-3, and mountain, i. e. the mountainous rewhich for some reason they had de- gion, is of course used for mountainlayed to perform till this time. This eers, or the inhabitants of the mounseems likely from the fact that the tain, as the name of a country or
same name,'Hormath,' importing city often stands for its occupants.
utter destr'ection, is there also bestow- Iii the parallel member of the sened upon the devoted region, and we tence immediately following, the
can otherwise see no particular rea- word'inhabitants' is expressed.son for making Zephath an anathe- If But could not drive out, &c. That
ma on this occasion.  Arad appears is, Judah could not.  The reason
not to have been so much the name why they could not was their unbeof a city, as of a tract 6f country em- lief. Had they duly confided in ombracing a number of cities, of which nipotence, the chariots of iron would
perhaps Zephath was the principal. have been no more of an obstacle to
18. Took/  Gaza withb the coast them than chariots of straw. But
thereof. With the adjoining territory although on a former occasion, Josh.
thereof; and so in what follows. 11. 4-9, they had seen how complete
Having conquered the south, they was the victory which Joshua, relyturned their arms towards the Philis- ing upon God, had obtained over
tines' country in the west.  These these engines of war, yet now they
cities it is said they' took,' but it is weakly suffer their fears to prevail
not said that they slew the inhabit- over their faith, and instead of trustants, as they ought to have done. ing God under apparent disadvanThey probably- contented themselves tages, they meanly withdraw their
with making them tributary, and as forces, when one bold stroke would
a consequence of their ill-judged have completed their victories.  So
lenity, they afterwards recovered with believers, when they view outstrength, expelled their invaders, ward difficulties with the eye of
2*




1S                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1425.
20 Z And  they  gave  Hebron  busites that inhabited Jerusalem;
unto Caleb, as Moses said: and  but the Jebusites dwell with the
he expelled  thence  the  three  children of Benjamin in Jerusa.
sons of Anak.                       lem  unto this day.
21 aAnd the children of Ben-  22 And the house of Joseph,
jamin did not drive out the Je- they also went up against Bethel: band  the LORD  was with
z Num. 14. 24. Deut. 1. 36. Josh. 14. 9,
13, and 15. 13, 14. a See Josh. 15. 63, and them.
18. 28.                                           b ver. 19.
sense, and forget the almighty power achievement of a conquest equally
of God; their hearts grow discour- easy.'  Understood in this sense, the
aged, their expectations feeble, and words, instead of being an unmeaning
their attempts timid and wavering; repetition of an incident frequently
and then no wonder they do not pros- mentioned before, are in fact a tacit
per, for in proportion to our faith but severe rebuke of the cowardice
will be our vigor, zeal, and success. and pusillanimity of the nation.
The Chal. paraphrast renders the   21. The children of Benjramin did
verse;' And the;Vord of Jehovah  not drive omit the Jebnsites.  Jerusawas in the support of the house of lem was situated partly in the tribe
Judah, and they extirpated the in- of Judah, and partly in that of Benhabitants of the  mountains; but jamin; the northern part belonging
afterwards, uwshe  theyJ sinned, they to the latter tribe, the southern to the
were not able to extirpate the inhab- former.  This will account for the
itants of the plain country, because fact, that what is here said of Benthey had chariots of iron.'         jamin, is, in Josh. 15. 63, said of Ju20. And they gacve IHebron unto Ca- dah.  It was owing to the most culicb, &c.'We have little doubt that pable remissness on thepart of the
the true design of inserting this verse tribe of Benjamin that these Jebuin this connexion is lost sight of, by sites were not expelled from  their
the present mode of rendering.  Let strong-hold.  As the Jebusites dwelt
the verb be translated in the pluper- in Jerusalem till the days of David,
feet tense,'had given,' and the drift and the author of this book states
is obvious. It is as if the writer had  them to have been in possession of
said,'Although they had some time Jerusalem  when he wrote, therefore
before given Hebron to Caleb, and this book was certainly written before
he had expelled thence the three gi- the reign of David, or before the
gantic sons of Anak, who were deem- date of his capture of that part of the
ed the most formidable and invinci- city.
ble of all the old inhabitants of Ca-   22. The house of Joseph-went up.
naan, and though his success ought That is, the tribe of Ephraim, as ap.
to have been regarded as a pledge pears from the contrary affirmation
and earnest of their own, let the op- respecting Manasseh. —  The Lord
posing power have been what it weas qvith them.  Another mode of
might, yet notwithstanding this pre- saying that they were eminently succedent, they ignobly failed in the cessful in the expedition.  The pre



B. C. 1425.]               CHAPTER  I.                              19
23 And the house of Joseph  the city, and ewe will show thee
Csent to descry Beth-el. Now the mercy.
name of the citybefore was d Luz.  25 And when he showed them
24 And the spies saw  a man the entrance into the city, they
came forth out of the city, and smote the city with the edge of
they said unto him, Show  us, the sword: but they let go the
we pray thee, the entrance into man and all his farnily.
c Josh. 2. 1, and 7. 2. ch. 18. 2. d Gen.
28. 19.                                        e Josh. 2. 12, 14.
sence of God with us in our conflicts This confirms the opinion that the Isis the strongest assurance of triumph. raelites might spare the lives of such
Chal.' The Word of the Lord was Canaanites as either submitted to
their Helper;' i. e. Christ.        become bondmen  and  renounced
23. Sent to descry Bethel.  Heb. idolatry, or emigrated into other re-'sent to descry, or explore in Bethel.' gions, as was the case with this inThat is, in the region or tract irnme- dividual and his family.  See on
diately surrounding the city.  The Josh. 11.19.
primary sense of the original is to   25. And when he s/howed them the enmake a ci'rcGit, especially with a view  trance, &c. We do not feel preparto spy, explore, or reconnoitre. From  ed with Adam Clarke to pronounce
this the native import of the word, the conduct of this man'execrable,
and from the ternm  made use of in taken in whatever light we choose,'
the next verse to designate the per- without klnovwing more of the real
sons in question, there is little doubt motives by which he was actuated
that the language implies the con- in giving the intelligence he did. It
stcnt e2ployment of a number of per- is possible he might have done it
sons in this service, their being ap- from the conviction that'the Lord
pointed to keep steadzly on the watck. was with them,' and that by his gift
We cannot otherwise account for the the land was theirs of right, and then
use of the particle' in.'-  ~ Luz. the same reasons which justified RaSee on Gen. 28.19.                  hab in entertaining those whom she
24. And the spies saw a man, &c. knew to be the enemies of her counHeb. t       fSi3i   hashshome'rim, the try, but the friends of God, would
guards, the watchmen;  implying justify him. Yet the fact that he did
that there was a stationarcy ivatch not, when set at liberty, like Rahab,
placed in the vicinity of the city to unite his interests with the worshipobserve its movements, to note if any pers of Jehovah, but retired to his
came out, and to apprehend them. countrymen in another region, ar-~  Show Sus-the entrance into the gues against him, and leads us rather
city.  Not the gate, the common to infer, that he was influenced more
avenue, which there could be no by fear than by faith in acting the
difficulty in finding, but some weak part of an informer.  In that case
point, where an entrance could be we are not called to pass judgment
effected with least danger and ditti- on his conduct at all, but leave him
rulty. —~i We will shozo thee mercy. in the hands of Him who knows bet



20                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1425.
26 And the man went into the the Canaanites to tribute, and
land of the Hittites, and built a did not utterly drive them out.
city, and called the name theleof  29  fT gNeither  did Ephraim
Luz: which is the name there- drive  out the  Canaanites that
of unto this day.                  dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaan27 IT N-either did  Manasseh  ites dwelt in Gezer among them.
drive out the inhabitants of Beth-.30' Neither did Zebulun drive
shean and hertowns,nor Taanach  out the inhabitants of Kitron,
and her towns, nor the inhabitants nor the hinhabitants of Nahalol;
of Dor and her towns, nor the but the Canaanites dwelt among
inhabitants of Ibleam  and her them, and became tributaries.
towns, nor the inhabitants of   31 t~lNeither did Asher drive
Megiddo and her towns; but out the inhabitants of Accho,
the Canaanites would dwell in nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor
that land.                         of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of
28 And it came to pass when Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of
Israel was strong, that they put Rehob:
g Josh. 16. 10. 1 Kings 9. 16. h Josh. 19.
f Josh. 17. 11, 12, 13.  15. i Josh. 19. 24-30.
ter than we do how to discriminate remarkable  and  very  expressive
between the claims of allegiance to phraseology, see on Josh. 17. 12.
one's country and of the principle of   28. When Israel wqas strong. &c.
self-preservation.                 The fact of their ability aggravated
26. Went into the land of tthe Hit- the crime of their neglect, and it is
tites.  Probably some place without probably with a view  to intimate
the bounds of the promised land, per- this, that the circumstance of their
haps in  Arabia, where Josephus becoming strong is mentioned. Thus
mentions a city called Lulssa (Luz.) their sin prepared its own punishAntiq. B. 14. ch. 2.  The man him- ment, and the love of present ease
self was perhaps a Hittite, and to became the source of perpetual disperpetuate the name of his city, he quiet in after times. Thus shall we
called the new one, which he now  ever fare by neglecting present opfounded, after the ancient name of portunities, through sinful self-inBethel.                            dulgence and failing to bring under
27. Neither did Manasseh drive our enemies when they are in our
out. That is, possess by dispossess- power. See on Josh. 17. 13.
ing, the true sense of the original, as   29. The Canaanites dwelt among
already remarked, v. 19.  On the them. Intimating, perhaps, that they
situation of Beth-shean, and the allowed them a quiet settlement and
other towns recited here, see on Josh. indulged them in the privileges of an
17. 11.- IT And her towns. Heb. unconquered people, not even makrih3liZ  benothlha,.7ler  daughter's, ing them tributary.
i. e. her dependent places, her adja-   32. The Asherites dwelt among the
cent villages.-.r   The Canaanites Canaanites. As it is not usual to say
would dwell in that land. On this of a larger number that it dwells




B. C. 1425.1             CHAPTER  II.                             21
32 But the  Asherites kdwelt suffer them  to come down  to
among the Canaanites, the in- the valley:
habitants of the land: for they   35 But the  Amorites would
did not drive them  out.           dwell in mount Heres ain Aija33'Neither did Naphtali drive  Ion, and  Shaalbim:  yet the
out the inhabitants of Beth-she- hand  of the  house  of Joseph
mesh, nor the  inhabitants of prevailed, so that they became
Beth-anath;  but  he  ""dwelt tributaries.
among the Canaanites, the in-  36 And the coast of the Amohabitants of the land: neverthe- rites was Pfrom  the going up to
less, the inhabitants of Beth-she- Akrabbim, from  the rock, and
mesh and of Beth-anath "became  upward
tributaries unto them.
34 And the Amorites forced                CHAPTER  II.
the  children  of Dan into  the         ND' an angel of the LORD
mountain: for they would not LX  came up from  Gilgal ato
k Ps. 106.34, 35.  Josh. 19. 38. m ver. 32.  o Josh. 19. 42. p Num. 34. 4. Josh. 15. 3
n ver 30.                          a ver. 5.
among a smaller, the inference in so pressed and straitened by these
regard to Asher and Naphtali is, Amoritish hordes, that they were
that they expelled comparatively but finally induced to enlarge their posfew of the Canaanites, leaving them  sessions by seeking new quarters in
in fact a majority of the population. a remote part of the land, ch. 18. 1;
With most of the other tribes, the Josh. 19. 47.
case appears, for a considerable time   36. And the coast of the Amorites
at least, to have been different. See was, &c. That is, the territory, the
on ch. 3. 5.                       country occupied. The scope of this
34. The Amoqites forced the child- verse seems to be to intimate that
ren of Dazn ibto the mountain. That it was not surprising that the Amois, into the mountainous parts of rites were such a formidable enemy
their lot.-    Would not satfrer them  to Israel, when it is considered that
to come down to the valley.  To the they were a powerful and numerous
lower country, or the plains, proba- race, inhabiting a territory that exbly by reason of their iron chariots. tended from  the southern limits of
35. Woeeld dwell in moount leres, Canaan  (Akrabbim, Josh. 15. 3),
&c. Not content with the posses- and even from beyond the city of the
sion of the valleys, they in three in- Rock (Petra), northwest-ward as far
stances at least made themselves for as to Mount Heres..
a while masters of the mountains,
but this portion of them, by the sea-       CHAPTER  II.
sonable assistance of the descendants   1. An angel of the Lord.  As the
of Joseph, were checlred in their pro- word'angel,' in its primary import,
gress, confined within narrower lim- is a term of office equivalent to mesits, and compelled to pay tribute. senge', the Jews for the most part
But the Danites, as a whole, were are of the opinion that it here de



22                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1425.
Bochim, and said, I made you brought you unto the land which
to go up out of Egypt, and have I sware unto your fathers; and
notes a prophiet sent by God as a therefore there was a particular promessenger, and that messenger they priety in his appearing now to the
suppose to have been Phinehas, the people, to inquire, Why they had not
high-priest, who was commissioned carried his orders into effect? and
on this occasion to deliver the ensu- to threaten them  that he would fi-ght
ing solemn reproof to Israel. This for them no longer. Besides, at Gilis indeed possible, but the more pro- gal the people had renewed the orbable opinion we take to be, that it dinance of circumcision and the
was neither a human prophet nor a passover, in which' they had consecreated angel, but the Son of God crated themselves to God afresh, and
himself, he who is so frequently engaged to serve himn as his redeemed
styled, in the Scriptures, the' Angel people. In coming therefore as from
of the covenant.' The evidence of Gilgal, the Angel upbraided them
this is found in what he immediately with their base ingratitude, reminded
goes on to say of himself;-' I made them of their solemn engagements,
you to go up out of Egypt,' &c. and humbled them the more for their
-Who but Jehovah himself could or violation of them.-9T 7To Bochim.
would adopt such language as this i Heb.'the weepers.' Gr. KcavOQiu(Vee,
It was not a creature that brought bewaiZlisgs; so called by anticipation
the Israelites out of Egypt; but Je- from the weeping and lamentation,
hovah.  It was not a creature that v. 8, that took place there.  Where
made a covenant with them; but Bochim  was situated we are not
Jehovah.  It was not a creature to elsewhere informed, and the probawhom  they were accountable for bility is, that the place was in reality
their disobedience, and whose dis- no other than Shiloh, where the peopleasure they had so much reason to ple were now assembled, v. 4, on one
dread; but Jehovah. As to the cir- of their solemn festivals; for it apcumstance of his being said to' come pears, v. 5, that the sacrifices were
up' from Gilgal, which is supposed offered on the occasion, and we know
to militate against this interpreta- that, as a general rule, sacrifices
tion, it rather confirms it; for it was were not offered except where the
in Gilgal, near to Jericho, that this tabernacle and altar were fixed, and
same divine person had appeared to this, at the present time was at ShiJoshua as an armed warrior. That loh. As to the time when the events
he was Jehovah cannot be doubted, recorded, v. 1-11, took place, it was
because he suffered Joshua to wor- doubtless subsequent to the death of
ship him, and even commanded him  Joshua, though the precise date ot
to put off his shoes from his feet, in- it cannot now be ascertained.  If in
asmuch as the ground on which he Joshua's time they had been guilty
stood was, by reason of his presence, of the gross delinquency here laid to
rendered holy.  In his conversation their charge, he would hardly have
with Joshua he had called himself failed to reprove them for it, or have
the' Captain of the Lord's host,' and said, Josh. 23. 8, that they had' cleav<




B. C. 1425.]              CHAPTER  II.                             23
b I said, I will never break my  not drive them  out from  before
covenant with you.                 you;  but they  shall be  fcas
2 And eye shall make no league thorns in your sides, and g their
with the inhabitants of this land; gods shall be a h snare unto you.
dye shall throw down their al-  4 And it came to pass, when
tars: ebut ye have not obeyed the angel of the  LORD  spake
my voice: why have ye done these words unto  all the childthis?                              ren of Israel, that the people
3 Wherefore I also said, I will lifted up their voice, and wept
b Gen. 17. 7. c Deut. 7. 2. d Deut. 12. 3.  f Josh. 23. 13. g ch. 3. 6. h Exod. 23. 33,
ever. 20. Ps. 106. 34.             and 34. 12. Deut. 7. 16. Ps. 106. 36.
ed unto the Lord their God unto that 55; Josh. 23. 13.   ~1 Their gods
day.'  The reason for the mention shall be a snare unto you. Chald.
of Joshua's dismission of the people -their abominations.'  They  will
being inserted in this immediate con- prove an enticement to you, to ennection, will be given in our remarks tangle you in idolatry and so effect
on v. 6.- I   I said, I will never your ruin.
break may covenant. Provided you   4. The people lifted up ttheir voice
are true and faithful to yours.  The and wept. For a time, at least, they
first breach of covenant shall never were deeply affected with a sense of
be laid to my charge.              their transgressions.  They  lifted
2. Ye shall ma/ke zto league, &c. up their voice both in confession of
The letter of this passage is too plain sin and deprecation of punishment.
to need remark, but the spirit of it And have we not equal occasion to
in its application to the Christian Is- weep, whether we consider our sin
rael, merits our most serious regard. or our punishment! Is not the sparIt teaches the danger of indecision ing of inveterate lasts as wicked as
and supineness in prosecuting our sparing  the devoted Canaanites.
Christian warfare. The command  Does it not betray an equal want of
to every follower of Christ is, to reverence for God, of love to his
make no league with our spiritual name, of zeal for his honor! Let
enemies. Our corrupt affections and us hear then the voice that proclaims
lusts are not to be spared.  It is not our duty;'Be afflicted and mourn
sufficient to make them pay tribute; and weep, let your laughter be turnwe must crucify and slay them; we ed into mourning, and your joy into
must show them no mercy; our ha- heaviness; humble yourselves under
tred of them must be irreconcileable the mighty hand of God, and he shall
and incessant.                     lift you up.' But while we imitate
3. Whberefore I also said.  I in- the humiliation of the Israelites on
wardly purposed and resolved. On this occasion, let us be careful to
this sense of the word'say,' see on bring forth fruits more meet for rech. 22. 33.  Or with several of the pentance than did they in their subversions, it may be rendered in the sequent conduct. For though they
present,' I say, I declare.'- — ff As now showed signs of deep abasethorns in your sides.  See Num. 33. ment and sorrow of spirit, yet we do




24                          JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1444
5 And they called the name   7'kAnd the people served the
of that place IBochim: and they LORD all the days of Joshua, and
sacrificed there unto the LORD. all the days of the elders that
6 IT And when i Joshua had let outlived Joshua, who had seen
the people go, the children of all the great works of the LORD,
Israel went every man unto his that he did for Israel.
inheritance to possess the land.   i Josh. 22. 6, and 24. 28. k Josh. 24. 31.
not find, from the ensuing history, blood of sprinkling, and seek for
that any general or permanent re- pardon through that one sacrifice
formation took place; though they offered for us upon the cross.
now relented, they soon relapsed,   6. When Joshuza had let the people
and involved themselves afresh and go. This passage, v. 6-9, has alstill more deeply in the guilt of de- ready occurred in nearly the same
fection and idolatry.'Many are words in Josh. 24. 29-31.  It seems
melted under the word, that harden  to be repeated here as a suitable preagain before they are cast in a new  liminary to the ensuing account of
mould.' Henry.                     their degeneracy and apostasy. The
5. They sacrificed Uthere u1nto the angel had foretold that the CanaanLord.  They had recourse to the ites and their idols would be a snare
blood of sprinkling for the remission to Israel.  The writer is now about
of their sin. Though their weeping to show that this prediction was acwas very general and very bitter, so tually fulfilled, and in order to that
much so as to give a name to the he turns back and takes a brief replace, yet they did not hope to pacify trospect of some previous incidents
their  offended  God  with  tears. in their history which, by contrast,
They knew that an atonement was would set the enormity of their
necessary, and they therefore sought transgressions in a still more striking
him in his appointed way. Would point of view. This is according  to
that we might learn from  them! the common usage of the sacred
Humiliation  is necessary, but not writers, who, in their narrations, go
sufficient.  Tears, even if they were more by the relation of events to each
to flow in rivers, could never wash other, than by their strict chronologiaway sin.  The blood of atonement cal order.  After being so happily
is indispensable, without which there fixed in their several inheritances
is no remission.   Nor should the and having commenced their settlefact be lost sight of here, that the ment in Canaan under such favorasin laid to the charge of Israel was ble auspices, it greatly aggravated
not of commission, but of omnission; their sin, that they should afterwards
not some flagrant enormity, but a have fallen away from God, and so
lukewarmness and neglect of duty. grievously disappointed the promise
Yet they saw their need of a sacri- which their fair beginnings held out.
fice to atone for that.  In like man-   7. All the d&ys of the elders that
ner, though we should have no guilt outlived Joshua.   Heb.' that proimputed to us but that of omission longed their days after Joshua.' As
and defect, yet must we apply to the these elders might some of them




B. C. 1426.]              CHAPTER  II.                             25
8 And'Josa a the son of Nun, and there arose another generathe servant of the LORD, died, tion after them, which oknew
being an hundred and ten years not the LORD, nor yet the works
old.                               which he had done for Israel.
9 m And they buried him in the   11'F And the children of Israel
border  of his  inheritance  in  did evil in the sight of the LORD,
"Timnath-heres, in  the mount and served Baalim:
of Ephraim, on the north side   12 And  they    forsook  the
of the hill Gaash.                  LORD  God  of  their  fathers,
10 And also all that generation  which brought them  out of the
were gathered unto their fathers: land  of Egypt, and  followed
l Josh. 24. 29. m Josh. 24. 30Josh.24.9. n Josh. 192. osh. 1q other gods, of the gods of the
60, ad'A4.30. o, xod 5.2. 1 Sam. 2. 12. people that were round  about
1 Chron. 28. 9. Jer. 9. 3, and 22. 16. Gal.
4. 8. 2 Thess. 1. 8. Tit. 1. 16.         p Deut. 31. 16. q Deut. 6. 14.
have lived several years after Josh-'I Baal,' or lord, they usually added
ua's decease, this term should be de- some distinctive epithet, as Baalducted from the whole period of Is- zephon, Baal-peor, Baal-zebub, &c.
rael's idolatries  recorded  in this The pl. is here used to intimate that
book.                               these imaginary deities were various,
9. Buried him-in Timnath-heres. and that the worship of the IsraelThis place is called, in Josh. 24. 30, ites, like that of the Canaanites, was' Tirnnath-seraAh.'   By transposing *not confined to any one of them.
the letters of the last word, it be- Lords many and  gods many had
comes, as here,'Heres,' which sig- dominion over them.  From  this
nifies the suqn, and it is not improba- verse onwards to the end of the
ble, as the Jews imagine, that it chapter, the writer's drift seems to
was so called by reason of some be to give in brief terms a summary
memorial, connected with his sepul- or compend of the whole book. It
chre, of the sun's miraculously stand- is a general and condensed stateing still at his command.           ment of the leading features of the
10. Wthich knew not the Lord. Had  history of Israel, during the period
no practical or experimental know- of the Judges, which in the ensuing
ledge of him; no deep or lively im- chapters is expanded into the various
pression of his goodness; no affec- details of oppression and deliverance
tionate, grateful, or devout sense of which are so briefly touched upon in
the wondrous manifestations of his these verses.  This is according to
power in their behalf.  See on Ex. the common  usage of the sacred
1. 8.                               writers, and we have no doubt that
11. Served Baalimn.  This word, the more minute is the reader's inthe plural of'Baal,' signifies lords. spection of the structure of the book,
Their false gods the Canaanites the more plausible will this view of
considered as supernatural rulers or the subject appear.
governors, each having his peculiar   12, And they forsook the Lord God.
district and office.  But when they Rather,'for they forsook,' &c., a
wished  to  express  a  particular mere enlargement in its- -ire x;i
3




26                           JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406
them, and'bowed themselves them, and xhe sold them  into
unto  them, and provoked the  the hands of their enemies round
LORD to anger.                      about, so that they Y could not
13 And they forsook the LORD, any longer stand  before their
"and served Baal and Ashtaroth. enemies.
14 ~ tAnd the anger of the   15 Whithersoever they went
LORD was hot against Israel, and out, the hand of the LORD was
he  udelivered  them  into  the against them  for evil, as the
hands of spoilers'that spoiled  LORD had said, and'as the LORD
Exod 20. 5.   ch. 3. 7, and 10. 6. Ps.   x ch. 3. 8, and 4. 2. Ps. 44. 12. Isai.
106. 36.   ch. 3. 8. Ps. 106. 40, 41, 42. u 2 50.1.  Lev. 26. 37. Josh. 7. 1;, 13. z Lev.
Kings 17. 20.                      26 Deut. 28.
nute particulars of the general fact of an equivalent. God is said to
stated in the preceding verse. Chald.'sell' his disobedient people, when'they forsook the worship of the Lord he delivers them up into the hands of
God,' as they that forsake the wor- their enemies to be dealt with as they
ship of God, do in effect forsake God may see fit, when he puts them out of
himself.                            his own hand, as it were, withholds
13. Served Baal and Ashtaroth. his protection, and has nothing more.Ashtaroth, like Baalim above, is of to do with them as the objects of his
the plural number, and is probably peculiar protection. It is a term,
here used as a general name for all therefore, emphatically expressive of
the female deities of these nations, the divine displeasure, the most fearas Baal or Baalim  is of the male. ful judgment in  its consequences
The sing. Ashtereth (Astarte) is the that can befal a nation or an indiname of the Syrian Venus, who was vidual. Comp. ch. 3. 8, and 4 8;
worshipped with the most revolting  Deut. 32. 30; Ps. 44. 13; Is. 50. 1.
and abominable rites. It is supposed    15. Whithersoever they went out.
that the moon was worshipped under Whatsoever they undertook.  Heb.
this name, as was the sun under that' in everything to which they went
of Baal.                            forth.' Not only in their military
14. Into the hands of spoilers. Rob- expeditions against their enemies,
bers, marauders, plundering parties but in whatever undertaking they
of the Canaanites, who committed  engaged at home, they were still
depredations upon their cattle, flocks, baffled and disappointed, and every
crops, &c. The word may also be thing went against them. The doing
understood in a still fuller sense as of any kind of business is frequently
equivalent to oppressors, those who expressed in Hebrew by the phrase,
captured not their property only, but' going out,' or' coming in.' Thus,
themselves, reducing them to servi- Deut, 28. 6,'Blessed shalt thou be
tude, or at least compelling them to when thou comest in, and blessed
pay tribute.-~ Sold them. To sell, shalt thou be when thou goest out;'
is to alienate the possession of any i. e. in all thine undertakings and
thing for a valuable consideration. employments, in the whole course
The term is used in the Scriptures, and current of thine affairs. Comp.
however, without the annexed idea Ps. 121. 8.- If As the Lord  tad




B. C. 1406.]            CHAPTER  II.                             27
had sworn unto them: and they was with the judge, and delivwere greatly distressed.          ered them  out of the hand of
16 ~ Nevertheless " the LoRD their enemies all the days of the
raised up judges, which deliver- judge:  ( for it repented  the
ed them out of the hand of those LORD because of their groanings
that spoiled them.                by reason of them that oppressed
17 And yet they would not them and vexed them.)
hearken unto their judges, but  19 And it came to pass, e when
they  b went a whoring  after the judge was dead, that they
other gods, and bowed them- returned, and  corrupted themselves unto them: they turned selves more than their fathers,
quickly out of the way which in following other gods to serve
their fathers walked in, obeying them, and to bow  down unto
the commandments of the LORD; them; they  ceased  not from
but they did not so.              their own doings, nor from their
18 And when the LORD raised stubborn way.
them up judges, then c the LORD
t   j                  c Josh. 1. 5. d See Gen. 6. 6. Deut. 32.
a ch. 3. 9, 10 15. 1 Sam. 12. 11. Acts 13. 36.' Ps. 106. 44, 45. e ch. 3. 12, and 4. 1,
20. b Exod. 34.15, 16. Lev. 17. 7.  and 8. 33.
said, &c.  Particular reference is   17. Wtould not hear'ken unto their
had to Lev. 26. 15-17; Deut. 28. 25; judges. WVould not obey them.where these very judgments are ex- ST But went, &c. By the covenant
pressly denounced against them in entered into at mount Sinai, Ex. 19.
case they should thus apostatize.  6, the people of Israel were virtually
16. T7e Lord raised 1up judges. married unto God, so that every inThat is, by the secret prompting and stance of idolatry was a breach of
inspiration of his spirit,working upon that solemn compact. The worship
the hearts of particular individuals, of idols was accouinted and spoken
in view of the sufferings and calami- of as spiritual adultery, and from
ties of the people, and inciting them, the nature of the rites accompanying
like Moses in Egypt, to aim at effect- these idolatrous practices, the term
ing their deliverance. This inward was often more than metaphorically
impulse was usually, perhaps always, proper.
accompanied by an express call and   18. It repented the Lord. He altercommand to undertake the work, and ed the course of his providence, actby some outward designation which ed as if he repented. See on Gen. 6.
testified to the people the divine elec- 6, 7; Deut. 32. 36.
tion; such for the most part as the   19. They ceased not from thezr own
display of some signal act of hero- doings. Heb.' they let nothing fall
ism, the performance of some mar- from  their doings.' They abated,
vellous or miraculous exploit, as in they relaxed nothing of their evil
the cases of Shamgar, Gideon, Sam- practices.-  ~ Nor firom their stubson, &c. On the import of the word bo'rn way. Heb. t: >'"1 darkcim'judges' in this book, see Introduc- hak-kaslhh, tlheir har-d way. Hard,
tion.                             as proceeding from a hard and per



28                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1406.
20  ~fAnd the anger of the   22 iThat through them  I may
LORD  was hot against Israel; kprove Israel, whether they will
and he said, Because that this keep the way  of the LORD to
people hath g transgressed  my  walk therein, as their fathers
covenant which  I commanded  did keep it, or not.
their fathers, and have not heark-   23 Therefore  the  LORD  left
ened unto my voice;                 those  nations, without driving
21 bI also will not henceforth  them  out hastily, neither dedrive out any from before them  livered he them  into the hand
of the nations which Joshua left of Joshua.
when he died;
fver. 14. g Josh. 23. 16. h Josh. 23. 13.   i ch. 3. 1, 4. k Deut. 8. 2, 16, and 13. 3.
verse heart; hard, in the sense of consciences of all who should either
being stqubbornly persisted in; and  experience, or witness, or hear of
hard or grievous in its consequences. them.  The Most HIigh often orders
It is the term applied to the obstinate  his providence on the principle of a
and intractable conduct of Pharaoh. father or master who distrusts the
20, And t]he angger of the Lord was fidelity of' his son or servant, and
kindled, &c. From  this verse to the places them in such circumstances
end of the chapter, the narrative is that they may, by their good or evil
probably to be considered merely as conduct, justify his suspicions, or
a repetition in substance of what is give hinproofs of their being groundaffirmed by the Angel, v. 1-3. It is less. It is implied, however, that
a more full and detailed statement these nations, in case the Israelites
of the reasons for the foregoing ap- stood not the test, should be not only
pearance of the divine messenger, trials or ordeals to them,'but also
threatening them with the judgments scourges and instruments of Wrath.
ofheavenfortheirdisobedience. No- -.   As their fatlhers did keep it.
thing is more common than such  That is, those who lived in the days
transpositions in the order of the in- of Joshua, and the elders who overspired record. The effect is first men- lived him.
tioned, and the cause afterwards.     23. T/herefore the Lord left, &c.
21. Will not henceforthl drive out, Or, Heb.'suffered.' It is not to be
&c. I will not while you continue understood that there was any absoin your stubborn way.  The pro- lute necessity for this delay in expellmlises of God to expel the Canaanites ing the Canaanites, but as God forewere upon condition of their obedi- saw the remissness of his people in
ence.                               accomplishing   this work, he saw fit
22. That through them I may prove in his providence to ove'rrule it to a
Israel. Not for his own satisfaction. wise and useful result. In like manbut that they themselves might be ner he overrules the wickedness of
made  better acquainted vwith  the all the wicked in the universe, and
plague of their own hearts, and that causes it to redound to the good of
the  righteous judgments of God  the whole and his own glory, in the
might thus approve themselves to the  view of all intelligent creatures.




B. C. 1406.]            CHAPrER  III.                            29
CHAPTER  III.              the  children  of Israel might
7LOW  these are  the nations know to teach them war, at the
L    which the LORD  left, to least such as before knew  noprove Israel by them, (even as thing thereof;)
many-of Israel as had not known   3 Namely, b five lords of the
all the wars of Canaan;           Philistines, and all the Canaan2 Only that the generations of ites, and the Sidonians, and the
a ch. 2. 21, 22.                   b Josh. 13. 3.
CHAPTER  III.             ness be interpreted according to its
1. Now these are the nations, &c. usual Scriptural import, which is to
The nations left to prove the Israel- have not merely an intellectual, but
ites were the five lordships or satra- an experimental knowledge of any
pies of the Philistines, who gave thing. By those therefore who'had
them more trouble than any of the not known all the wars of Canaan,'
rest-particularly in the latter days we understand those who had not
of the judges-the Sidonians, Ca- with confiding faith, with lively zeal,
naanites, and the Hivites that dwelt and from  a prompt and grateful
about Mount Lebanon. —~As many spirit of obedience, entered into and
— as had not known, &c.  These persevered in those conflicts with the
words and those of the ensuing verse, Canaanites which God had enjoined.
included together in the parenthesis, As they had grossly failed in their
however obvious a sense they seem  duty in this respect, and had not
to present to the English reader, are' known' these wars as they should
by no means so easy of explication have done, their children, according
when we turn to the original. The to the righteous economy of Provifirst and perhaps most natural im- dence, were appointed to reap the
pression as to their meaning is, that bitter fruits of their neglect.  They
they are designed to acquaint us with  were to know  to their cost, to be
another reason which God had for taught by sad experience, the trouble,
leaving these nations in the land, be- vexation, and annoyance that should
side that of proving Israel, viz. that come upon the successive generatheir posterity might not forget mili- tions descended from those who, by
tary discipline, but keep themselves their culpable remissness, had so
habituated to those warlike practices righteously incurred this afflictive
which would be necessary for their judgment. This we suppose to be
protection.  This effect would be the true import of the original, to
secured by the constant presence of which no translation can do full jusan enemy, and therefore God left a tice. But we may learn from it that
remnant of the devoted nations to the neglect of one generation to disprevent his people growing rusty, if charge its appropriate duties, never
we may so say, in the use of arms. fails to burden their successors with
This we are not prepared to term an the penalty of their remissness.
erroneous construction, but quite sure   3. Five lords.  Five lordships,
we are that it is an inadequate one. principalities, or satrapies, as it is
The term'to know,' must in fair- rendered by the Seventy.  See on.3*




30                         JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1406.
Hivites that dwelt in mount rael dwelt among the CanaanLebanon, from mount Baal-her- ites, Hittites, and Amorites, and
mon unto the entering in of Perizzites, and  Hivites, and
Hamath.                          Jebusites:
4 cAnd they were to prove   6 And ethey took their daughIsrael by them, to know whether ters to be their wives, and gave
they would hearken  unto the their daughters to their sons,
commandments of the  LORD, and served their gods.
which he commanded their fa-  7 f And the children of Israel
thers by the hand of Moses.      did evil in the sight of the LORD,
5 ~ d And the children of Is- and forgat the LORD their God,
c ch. 2. 22. d Ps. 106. 35.  e Exod, 34. 16. Deut. 7. 3. f ch. 2. 11.
Josh. 13. 3.-~ All the Canaanites many tears.' Bp. Hall.-~ Tolknow.
and the Zidonians, &c. Rather,' all That is, to make known, to afford to
the Canaanites, even the Zidonians,' themselves and others experimental
&c. That portion of the Canaanites proof. God himself of course could
seems to be intended who are other- stand in no need of such a process
wise styled Pheenicians, whose capi- to ascertain the truth. See on Deut.
tal city was Zidon, so called from  8. 2.
Zidon the son of Canaan, Gen. 10.  5. Dwelt among the Canaanites.
15, and who were never entirely Evidently implying that, contrary to
subdued by the Israelites. —-  From  the command of God, they suffered
mount Baal-Hermon.   A part of these nations to remain a majority
Antilibanus, lying near the sources in point of numbers, as otherwise
of the Jordan.                    they could not properly be said to
4. And they were to prove Israel. dwell among them. See on ch. 1. 32.
Heb.' and they were made to be for   6. Took their daug/hters-and serva trial or proof of Israel;' expressive ed their gods.  Chal.'worshipped
not so strictly of the design of their their errors (idols).' The cause and
being left, which is stated v. 1, as of the effect brought into immediate
the actual event.  The result corres- connexion, in exact accordance with
ponded with the divine prescience what had been long before announcand purposes.' God in his revealed ed, Deut. 7. 3, 4,'Neither shalt thou
will had commanded (doomed) the make marriages with them; thy
Canaanites to slaughter, yet secretly daughter thou shalt not give unto
gives over Israel to a toleration of his son, nor his daughter shalt thou
some Canaanites, for their own pun- take unto thy son.  For they will
ishment. He hath bidden us cleanse turn away thy son from following
our hearts of all our corruptions; me, that they may serve other gods;
yet he will permit some of these so will the anger of the Lord be
thorns still in our sides for exercise, kindled,' &c.' In such unequal
for humiliation.  If we could lay matches there is more reason to fear
violent hands on our sins, our souls that the bad will corrupt the good,
should have peace; now our indul- than to hope the good will reform
gence costs us many stripes and the bad.' Henry.




B. C0. 1406.]            CHAPTER   II1.                             31
gand served Baalim, and hthe  Mesopotamia: and the children
groves.                             of Israel served Chushan-risha8 ~T Therefore the anger of the thaim  eight years.
LORD was hot against Israel, and   9 And when the children of
he i sold them  into the hand of Israel I cried unto the LORD, the
k Chushan-rishathaim   king  of      ver, 15. and ch. 4. 3, and 6. 7, and 10. 10.
g ch. 2. 13. h Exod. 34. 13. Deut. 16. 21. 1 Sam. 12. 10. Neh. 9. 27. Ps. 22. 5, and
ch. 6. 25. i ch. 2. 14. kIHab. 3. 7.  106. 44, and 1.07. 13. 19.
7. Forgat the Lord  their God. ered them into the hand.  See this' In complaisance to their new rela- phrase explained, ch. 2. 14.-~....utions, they  talked of nothing but s/han-rishathaim. Rendered by most
Baalim and the groves, so that by of the ancient versions C~hushan, the
degrees they lost the remembrance of wicked or impious;  properly  the
the true God; and forgot that there doubly, i. e. pre-eminently, wicked.
was such a being, and what obligations The grounds of the appellation, supthey lay under to him.  In nothing posing this to be correct, it is now
is the corrupt memory of man more impossible to determine.-  1 Mesotreacherous than in this, that it is potamia.   Heb.  Aram-Naharaim,
apt to forget God; because he is out Syria of the two rivers, i. e. the
of sight, he is out of mind; and here country lying between the rivers Tibegins all the wickedness that is in gris and Euphrates, thence called
the world; they have'perverted Mesopotamia, which  signifies the
their way,' for they have' torgotten  midst of rivers.  See on Gen. 24. 10.
the Lord  their God.' Henry.-    It is now called Diarbelk. —      Served.
IT Served Baalim  and the groves. This servitude, as applied to the
Not the groves themselves, but the state of subjection to which the Isgrove-gods, the  images or idols raelites were  oftentimes  reduced,
which were set up in shady groves must be understood with some variconsecrated to their worship. Gese- ation of meaning according to cirnius however on the original word cumnstances; but generally it signiMTlNZ~ As/heroth, contends with much fies the obligation to pay tribute and
plausibility that it is a proper name make  presents to  the conqueror.
closely  related to Ashtaroth, and That they were obliged to render
signifies the statues of Astarte, the personal or military  service does
Syrian Venus or goddess of Fortune, not appear from the Scriptures; but
one of the most noted of the Phceni- that they were sometimes subject to
cian deities.  This is confirmed by the most severe and cruel treatment
nearly all the ancient versions. The is obvious from  the whole history.
rendering' groves' originated with It is very probable, that their subjecthe Greek Septuagint, probably from  tion to this distant king was more
the fact of their votaries worshipping favorable than to the immediately
those images in such retired places. neighboring  nations, and even to
From this source the signification of nations dwelling in the same land
groves has crept into most lexicons with themselves, to which they were
and commentaries of modton tim'.~ afterwards reduced.
8. Sold them into the hand. Deliv-   9. Wh7/en the  children  of IsraeZ




32                           JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1402
LOR)D mraised up a deliverer to judged  Israel, and went out to
the children of Israel, who de- war: and the LORD  delivered
livered them, even " Othniel the  Chushan - rishathaim   king   of
son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger Mesopotamia into his hand; and
brother.                            his hand prevailed against Chu10 And  ~ the  Spirit of the  shan-rishathaim.
LORD  came upon him, and he   11 And the land had rest forty
m c. 2. 16. n ch. 1. 13. o See Num. 27. years: and Othniel the son of
18. ch. 6.34, and 11. 29, and 13.25, and 14. Kenaz died.
6,19. 1 Sam. 11. 6. 2 Chron. 15. 1.
cried.  When they uttered  fervent influence to perform some extraordiprayers coupled with penitent con- nary exploit, or to take the lead in
fessions of their faults, as is to be in- some great and important enterprise.
ferred from ch. 10. 10, and 15. 16. Chald.'the spirit of prophecy re-~  Raised up a deliverer.  Heb. mained upon him.' The expression'a savior.'  So afterwards,'who  implies that he was endowed with
delivered,' Heb.' and saved;' which singular wisdom, fortitude and valor,
is more properly we think to be refer- adapting him to the work to which
red to God than to Othniel.  God he was called.-~.He judged Israel.
saved or delivered them by Othniel. That is, he not only assumed the' Savior,' in this connection, is but office of chief magistrate and entered
another name for the'judges,' who  upon the work of reforming their
were raised up from time to time for manners, repressingidolatry, adminthe deliverance of Israel.  Comp. istering justice, and reviving reli2 Kings 13. 5; Neh. 9. 27.  The gion, but also, as appears from the
original for'raised  up,' properly ensuing clause, put himself at the
signifies stirred up, excited, prompted, head of their forces, and in this cain consequence of a special divine pacity, pleaded and avenged the cause
influence exerted upon the individ- of Israel against their oppressors.
ual. The phrase is in fact explained  Thus the term  is employed Ps. 43.
by the terms employed in the begin- 1,' Judge me, O, God, and plead my
ning of the next verse. —'  Othniel cause against an ungodly nation:' i e.
the son of IKenaz. Of whom see Josh. judge me by pleading my cause, by
15. 16, and Judg. 1. 13.  He had vindicating me from  the aspersions
already signalized his valor in the and delivering me from the persecutaking of Kirjath-sepher and by his tions of my enemies. Comp. Deut.
experience in war, and the reputa- 32. 36; Ps. 10. 18.
tion he had gained with his country-   11. The land h zd rest forty years.
men, *ias peculiarly qualified to lead Enjoyed prevailing peace, was exthem successfully against their op- empt from tribute, and was in every
pressors.                           respect in a tranquil and flourishing
10. The Spirit of the Lor'd came state, during that period. The forty
zpon him. Heb.'was, or was made years are perhaps to be dated from
to be, upon him.' A common ex- Othniel's being raised up to judge
pression for one's being moved, acted  Israel. — And Othniel-died.' Othupon, and impelled by supernatural I niel had rescued Israel from idolatry




B. C. 1354.]             CHAPTER  III.                            33
12 IT PAnd  the  children  of   13 And he gathered unto him
Israel did evil again in the sight the children  of Ammon  and
of the  LORD: and the  LORD  r Amalek,  and went and smote
strengthened qEglon the  king Israel, and possessed Sthe city
of Mloab against Israel, because  of palm-trees.
they had done evil in the sight   p ch. 2. 19. i 1 Sam. 12. 9. r ch. 5. 14.
of the LORD.                       s ch. 1. 16.
and servitude; his life and their in- the pirate took advantage, and capnocence and peace ended together. tured the vessel. The phraseology
How powerful the presence of one is liable to no just objection when
good man is in a church or state, is rightly  understood, and affords a
best found in his loss.'  Bp Hall. clue to the explanation of hundreds
An attentive  examination  of the of passages in the sacred volume.
chronology of this book makes it all' Rather than Israel shall want a
but absolutely certain that itis some- scourge for their sin, God himself
where near to this period that we are shall raise them up an enemy. Moto refer the idolatry of the Danites ab had no quarrel but his own amand the war with the Benjamites, bition; but God meant by the ambimentioned ch. 17-21. Though, for tion of the one party, to punish the
the reasons stated in our Introduction, ambition of the other; his justice can
thrown together at the end of the make one sin the executioner of anbook, the events no doubt took place other, while neither shall look for
either under or before Othniel's ad- any measure from  him  but judgministration, who, though a judge, ment.' Bp. Hall.
was not, as Henry remarks, such a   13. And he gathered.   That is,
king in Israel as to keep men from  God gathered; in the sense above
doing what was'right in their own explained. He gathered, by alloweyes.'                            ing Eglon to gather, the forces of
12. Tlhe Lord str'engthened Eglor. these neighboring tribes, who were
Allowed him to become strong, suf- predisposed by ancient enmity to enfered his providence to take such a ter into the alliance.-~- Possessed
course as would result in his becom- the city of palm-trees.  Jericho, or
ing too powerful for the Israelites. rather the site of Jericho, with the
It was not by positive agency, but by adjacent territory, as the city itself
sovereign permission, that this result was in ruins. On this site, Egion
took place. The course of God's probably pitched his camp, erected
providence often favors the designs fortifications, and if Josephus be
of his enemies, and they take advan- correct, fixed here his residence,
tage of it, while the effect, in Scrip- His object was undoubtedly to obtain
ture st le, is attributed to God him- command of the fords of the Jordan,
self; but it is only as we should say which would not only open to him
that God delivered a vessel, with all a free communication with the land
on board, into the hands of' a pirate, of Moab, but prevent also the tribes
because ho caused the wind to blow  on the east and the west of the river
in a particular direction, of which forming a junction of forces.  Ac



34                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1336.
14 So the children  of Israel Israel u cried unto the LORD, the
t served Eglon the king of Moab  LORD raised them  up a delivereighteen years.                     er, Ehud the  son  of Gera, a
15 But when the children of Benjamite, a man v.left-handed:
t Deut. 28. 40.             u ver. 9. Ps. 78. 34. v ch. 20. 16.
cordingly  the first step  taken by at the bottom; and when once we
Ehud, when assured of victory, v. 28, can say, " Out of the depths have I
was to take possession of these fords, cried unto thee," instantly follows,
and thus cut off the retreat of the " The Lord heard me." A vehement
enemy.                              suitor cannot but be heard of God,
14.'The children of Israel served whatsoever he asks.  If our prayers
Eglon eighteen years.' Israel seems want success, they want heart; their
as born to servitude; they came from  blessing is according to their vigor.'
their bondage in the land of Egypt, Bp. Hall.-.  If A man  left-handed.
to serve in the land  of promise. Heb.' a man shut or obstructed of
They had neglected God, now they  his right hand;' i. e. not able readily
were neglected of God; their sins to use it. Chal.'contracted or irnm
had made them  servants, whom the peded in his right hand.' Syr.' a
choice of God had made free, yea man whose right hand was torpid.'
his first-born. Worthy are they to The Septuagint renders it an ambiserve those men whose false gods dexter, i. e. one who could use both
they had served; and to serve them  hands alike; from  wlhich the Vulalways  in thraldomn, whom  they  gate,'who could use either hand as
had once served in idolatry. We a right hand,' for neither of which
may not mleasure the continuance is there any authority in the original.
of punishment by the time of the The true import of the Heb. uncommission of sin; one minute's sin  doubtedly is, that through disease,
deserves a torment beyond all time.' injury, or some other infirmity, he
Bp. Hall.                           made little or no use of his right
15. Cried sento the Lord.  With  hand, but employed his left only, a
strong  and  earnest supplications. circumstance which would seem  to'Doubtless Israel was not so insen- render him less fit for war, as he
sible of their own misery, as not to must necessarily use his sword somecomplain sooner than the end of what awkwardly.'Yet God chose
eighteen years.  The first hour they  this left-handed man to be the man'sighed for themselves, but now they  of his right hand, whom  he would
cried unto God.   The very purpose " make strong for himself."  It was
of affliction is to make us importu- God's right hand that gained Israel
nate; he hears the secret murmurs the victory, (Ps. 44. 3,) not the right
of our grief, yet will not seem to hand of the instruments he employhear us, till our cries be loud and ed.'  H-enry.  It is remarkable that
strong. God sees it best for the peni- although the name' Benjamin,' sigtent to dwell for the time under their nifies the son of the righAt hand, yet
sorrows; he sees us sinking all the as appears, from  ch. 20. 16, multiwhile, yet he lets us alone till we be tudes of this tribe were from  some




B. C. 1336.]            CHAPTER  III.                           35
and by him the children of Israel  17 And he brought the present
sent a present unto Eglon the unto Eglon king of Moab: and
king of Moab.                     Eglon was a very fat man.
16 But Ehud made him a dag-  18 And when he had made an
ger which had two edges, of a end to offer the present, he sent
cubit length: and he did gird away the people that bare the
it under his raiment upon his present.
right thigh.
cause or other left-handed; so far Michaelis suggests that it probably
are men's characters oftentimes from  means an instrument made shorter
corresponding with their names.-   than usual for the purpose intended.
~l Sent a present. Either the tribute- The Sept. renders it' of a span
money which Eglon had imposed up- length,' and most of the versions unon the Israelites, or a gratuity over derstand it in the same sense.  A
and above their ordinary tribute, Jewish cubit is nearly two feet; a
sent to conciliate the favor of the span is about eight inches, a much
lord of Moab, their present master. more convenient length for a ponThe former we suppose to be the iard or stiletto, which would undoubtmost probable interpretation, as the edly have been the modern name of
original, Minchia, repeatedly occurs Ehud's instrument.-~-q Upon his
in this sense.  Similar exactions on right thigh.  Whence it could be
the part of the despotic rulers of the more easily drawn forth by his left
East continue to be levied upon sub- hand.
ject provinces to the present day,   18. Made an end to over.  When
and it is well known that their exor- he had ended all the ceremonies
bitant demands of this kind are which in those days were customary
among the principal causes of the in presenting gifts to great men.
impoverished state of the oriental --— The people that bare the present.
nations, and of the frequent insur- A considerable number of persons
rections that occur among them.  It seems to have been employed on this
is possible that Eglon's oppressions occasion, not so much because the
in this way had become so grievous quantity or variety of the presents
to the Israelites, that they could bear required it, as for the sake of etithem no longer, and accordingly in quette and a somewhat pompous distheir distress groaned out to God for play. The Orientals habitually afdeliverance.                      fect a great parade in presenting their
16. Ekud made him  a dagger. gifts, especially to persons of power
Caused to be made; just as Joshua, and distinction.' Through ostentach. 5. 3, is said to have' made him  tion,' says Maillet,' they never fail
sharp knives,' that is, by the ministry to load upon four or five horses what
of others.- fr Of a cubit length. might easily be carried on one.  In
The original word (Ml:1 gomed) here like manner as to jewels, trinkets,
rendered cubit, is of very doubtful and other things of value, they place
signification. As the kindred root in in fifteen dishes, what a single plate
Chald. has the import of contracted, would very well hold.' It appears




06                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1336
19 But he himself turned And all that stood by him went
again wfrom  the quarries that out from him.
were by Gilgal, and said, I have   20 And Ehud came unto him;
a secret errand  unto thee, 0  and he was sitting in a summerking: who said, Keep silence. x parlor, which he had for himw Josh. 4. 20.                    x Amos. 3. 15.
evident from  the next verse that by the Chal., Syr., and Arab. verEhud accompanied this party some sions, and also by the connexion, as
distance on their way homewards the next clause evidently expresses
and then returned himself alone to the performance of a command.
execute, without accomplices, the   20. Sitting in a summer parlor.
deed which he meditated, and to Heb.    iT t.Y  bMicliyath hanmwhich he was probably impelled by rmekirah, in an upper r'oom or chalna divine prompting.               ber of cooling. The extreme heat of
19. Fr'om  the  quarries.   Heb. the climate obliged the Orientals to
vlDo  pesilim, from the root, }t adopt various devices for ventilating
pfisal, to cut out, or calrve, as a sculp-  and cooling their apartments. For
for, whence several of the ancient this purpose they made their doors
versions understand the word of large, and their chambers spacious;
idols, or graven images, by which it but they soon found that such simple
is generally rendered.  It was per- contrivances were insufficient and
haps the place where idolatrous sta- that other methods of cooling their
tues of stone were cut out of the quar'- habitations were necessary. At Alep-'y and erected as objects of worship po, according to Russel, this was
by the Moabites.  This might have effected by means of kiosks, which
been done in contempt of the religion are a sort of wooden divans or stages,
and worship of the Israelites, and which project a little way fiom their
the sight' of them may have stirred other buildings, and hang over the
up afresh the pious indignation of street. They are raised about a foot
Ehud, and animated him  with new  and a half higher than the floor of
zeal to accomplish the work upon the room, to which they are quite
which he was intent,-~T I have a open, and by having windows in
secret errand.  Heeb. Aidt'1 debar front and on  each side, a great
seb/her, a word or thibng of concealment, draught of air is produced, causing
of secresy.-  I Wlho said, Keep si- a refreshing coolness in the sultlry
lence.  This is generally understood heat of summer.  Another method
as addressed to Ehud, intimating that of compassing the same end is by
he was to keep silent, and not declare ventilators.  The houses in Persia
his message till the king's attendants are ventilated by means of a trianguhad withdrawn.  But a preferable lar building which rises far above the
sense we think is that given by Ged- terrace roof, and is open at top, so as
des in his translation,' The king to receive the wind in whatever disaid, Privacy!' which was equiva- rection it blows.  The summer parlent to a command to his servants to lor of Eglon was undoubtedly cooled
leave the room.  This is confirmed by some of these contrivances, which




B. C. 1336.]            CHAPTER  III.                            37
self alone: and Ehud said, I1 21 And Ehud put forth his
have a message from God unto left hand, and took the dagger
thee.  And he arose out of his from his right thigh, and thrust
seat.                             it into his belly:
proves that expedients for mitigating understood it in a very different sense
the extreme heat of the climate are fiom that intended by Ehud.  Yet
of very great antiquity. -~T W17ich we think it most probable on the
he had for himself alonge. Into which whole that he would understand
he went when he wished to be retir- Ehud, an Israelite, as speaking of the
ed, and so better adapted to hearing God of Israel, and that a general
a secret message. The circumstance feeling of reverence inspired by the
is probably mentioned here by way mention of the deity or the powers
of accounting  for his  servants' above, even though his conceptions
waiting so long, v. 23, before going of such a power were,very vague,
in to him.  From  a circumstance was sufficient to prompt him to pay
mentioned by Mr. Bruce, it appears a serious attention to what was prothat Ehud acted in strict conformity fessedly uttered in his name.to the customs of the time and place, ~I Anad he arose from his seat.  Thus
so that neither the suspicion of the paying a becoming respect to a diking nor his attendants should be vine communication.'Though a
excited by his conduct. It was usual king, though a heathen king, though
for the attendants to retire when se- rich and powerful, though now tyrcret messages were to be delivered. annizing over the people of God,'I drank a dish of coffee,' says he, though a fat, unwieldy man that'and told him, that I was a bearer of could not easily rise nor stand long,
a confidential message from Ali Bey yet when he expected to receive orof Cairo, and wished to deliver it to ders from heaven, he rose out of his
him without witnesses, whenever he seat, and whether it was low and
pleased  The room was accordingly easy, or higlh and stately, he quitted
cleared without delay, excepting his it, and stood up when God was about
secretary, who was also going awray, to speak to him, thereby owning God
when I pulled him  back  by the his Superior. This shames the irclothes, saying, stay, if you please; reverence of many who are called
we shall need you to write the an- Christians, and yet when a message
swer.' 5-   I have a message from  from God is delivered to them study
God unto theo. A message to be de- to show by all marks of carelessness
livered not in word, but by action. how little they regard it.' tlHenry.
Tile Hebrew signifies a thiWg, a bn- His rising also gave Ehud a favorasiL,ess, an affair, as well as a word. ble opportunity of striking the fatal
The message was on the point of' blow.
Eh[ud's dagger.  The original for   21. Took the dagger —and thrust'God' moreover is a term common it, &c.  A correct estimate of the
both to the true God and the suppos- moral character of this bold deed of
ed deities of the heathen, so that Ehud can only be formed by settling
Eg!lon, as an idolator, might have the previous question, whether in
4




38                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1336.
performing it he was acting under a tion of his purpose? How could he
divine  commission,  or promped otherwise presume to think that he,
merely by a self-moved impulse of a single person, and disabled in his
patriotism to free his country from  right hand, could reach the heart of
the yoke of a usurper and a tyrant. the king amidst the circle of his offiIf the latter were the fact we have cers and guards?  How could he exno disposition to justify the course pect, enemy as he was, to be admitted
adopted by Ehud, although it maybe to a private interview?  And if adplausibly maintained to be according mitted, how could he have looked
to the acknowledged right of nature for an incident so favorable to his
and of nations for subjects to free object as the king's ordering all the
themselves from bondage and restore company to leave the room?  And
liberty to a country unjustly enslaved  then, should he succeed in dispatchby taking the life of their oppressor. ing the king, what prospect had he
Most nations, both in ancient and of effecting his escape?-and yet,
modern times, that have recovered  should he fail lo escape, the whole
themselves from political thraldom, enterprise, as far as the deliverance
have taken this course, and appar- of his country was concerned, w;ould
ently with the approbation of the have been abortive.  W'Te cannot
great mass of mankind.  At any therefore resist the evidence arising
rate, the objection, against this act from these considerations that Ehud
of Ehud as a base assassination, acted in this matter in virtue of a
comes with an ill grace from those commission from God, who saw fit
who admire and eulogise the conduct thus to punish the oppressor of his
of Brutus in stabbing Cuesar in the people after having first made use of
senate-house, on the plea of ridding him for their correction. He would
his country of a tyrant.  But the of course know that the prompting
deed of Ehud is doubtless to be vin- to the act was of God, by the Spirit
dicated on other grounds. There is that came upon him, the impulses of
every reason, we think, to look upon  which carried their own evidence
him as moved to this undertaking by along with them, and so gave him
an impulse from  above. It is ex- full assurance at once of the lawfulpressly said, v. 15, that God raised ness and the success of the attempt,
him  up as a savior to the country, of both wbhich he would otherwise
and how could he save his country  have had the utmost reason to doubt.
but by crushing  the power which'If he be sure that God bids him do
held it in subjection 2  Again, we it, he is sure both that he may do it,
are brought to the same conclusion  and that he shall do it; for a comrnby considering the peculiar circum- mand from God is sufficient to bear
stances under which the deed was us out, and to bring us off, both
accomplished. In view of the dan- against our consciences and against
gers attending it, what but the confi- all the world.'  Henry.  It is not
dence of being divinely  directed  however to be imagined that Ehud's
could have induced him, after dis- conduct is to be followed as a precemissing his attendants at Gilgal, to dent; for no man can dare to follow
return alone and attempt the execu- it unless he have infallible evidence




B. C. 1336.]           CHAPTER  III.                            39
22 And the haft also went in  24 When he was gone out, his
after the blade: and  the  fat servants came; and when they
closed upon the blade, so that saw  that, behold, the  doors
he could not draw  the dagger of the parlor were locked, they
out of his belly; and the dirt said, Surely  he covereth  his
came out.                         feet in his summer-chamber.
23 Then  Ehud  went forth   25 And they tarried till they
through the porch, and shut the were ashamed: and behold, he
doors of the parlor upon him, opened not the doors of the parand locked them.                  lor, therefore they took a key
that he is called of God to do it; but colloquial form  of expression for
as no man can expect such a call lying down to sleep.  When this
at this time, no man can without the was done they dropped their slipdeepest criminality presume to imi- pers, lifted up their feet, and cortate his example.                 ered them with their long loose gar22. And thte dirt came out. Ac- ments. Thus in the only other place
cording to some,' and it (the blade) where this phrase occurs, 1 Sam. 24.
went out behind.' The obscurity of 3, we read, that Saul'went into a
the original renders it difficult to cave to cover his feet,' i. e. torefresh
affix any determinate sense to the himself by sleep. This interpretawords.                           tion, though varying from that of
23. Ehed went forth, &c. By a several of the ancient versions, which
remarkable providence, Eglon fell regard it as a euphemism  for a difsilently without uttering any shriek ferent act, is confirmed by the Arabic
or outcry, which might have been and Syriac, and also by Josephus,
overheard by his servants at a dis- who says,' The king's servants were
tance.  His dying groans seem  to very still, as supposing that the king
have been stifled in his own fat, and had composed himself to sleep.' From
thus the escape of his executioner the case of Ishbosheth, 2 Sam. 4. 5,
was signally favored. Ehud accord- and of David, 2 Sam. 11. 2, it is
ingly walked forth, shutting and evident that the custom of taking relocking the doors, and probably tak- pose in those hot countries in the
ing the key with him, with such an middle of the day was by no means
air of composure and innocence as unusual.
gave no ground of suspicion to any   25. Tarried till they wer'e ashamed.
of the guards that he might have That is, perplexed, confounded, not
passed, of what had taken place knowing what to make of it. They
within.  His calm and sedate de- were greatly agitated between the
meanor under such trying circum- fear of disturbing him  on the one
stances is to be resolved into that hand, and of neglecting their duty
strong confidence in God, by which on the other.  Though. the primary
be was actuated in executing the import of the original is that of feelcommission.                      isqgi shtame, yet it is also in repeated
24. tHe coverethl his feet. This ap- instances found to be closely conpears to have been an idiomatic and nected with the idea of disappoint



40                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1336
and opened them: and behold,  28 And  he  said  unto them,
their lord was fallen down dead  Follow after me: for "the LORD
on the earth.                      hath delivered your enemies the
26 And Ehud  escaped while  Moabites into your hand.  And
they  tarried;  and  passed be- they went down after him, and
yond the quarries, and escaped  took b the fords of Jordan toward
unto Seirath.                      Moab, and suffered not a man
27 And it came to pass when  to pass over.
he was come, that yhe blew  a   29 And they slew of Moab at
trumpet in  the'mountain of that time about ten  thousand
Ephraim, and the children of  men, all lusty, and all men of
Israel went down with him from  valor: and there escaped not a
the mount, and he before them. man.
Y ch. 5. 14, and 6. 34. 1 Sam. 13. 3. z Josh.   a ch. 7. 9, 15. 1 Sam. 17. 47. b Josh. 2. 7.
17. 15. oh. 7. 24, and 17. 1, and 19. 1.  ch. 12. 5.
mnent in long waitinSg, and consequent probably for the reason that that tribe,
perplexity, chargin,  mortification. lying immediately contiguous, was
Thus Jer. 14. 3,'And their nobles niore numerous than his own, and
have sent their little ones to the wa- had more men to spare, as the Benters: they have come to the pits, and jamites not long before, in consefound no water; they returned with quence of the events mentioned ch.
their vessels  empty;  they' were 19-21, seem to have been reduced to
ashamed and confounded, and cov- a mere handful.  It is not unlikely,
ered their heads.'  Job. 6. 19, 20, moreover, that the Ephraimites had'The troops of Tema looked, the been the principal sufferers under
companies of Sheba waited for them. the rod of Moab.-~T T/he children
They wvere confounded because they of Is'rael went down frown the mosent.
had hoped; they came thither and After being collected in considerable
were ashamed.' Comp. Ps. 6. 1; Jer. numbers by his emissaries.
14. 4; Is. 19. 9.-~  Behold, their   28. Took the fords of Jordan. He
lord was fallen down. Heb. ~:~  first secured these passes and set a
adonltebm, their lor'ds, pl. according strong guard upon them, to cut off
to the Heb. idiom. See on Gen. 1. 1. all communication between the Mo-'God, when he bath chastened his abites on the west, and those in their
children, doth many times cast the own country on the east of Jordan,
rod into the fire.'  Trapp.        so that those who might attempt to
27. Blew a trwumpet in the moetatin fly should have no means of escape,
of Ephraim.  That is, caused trum- and those who might resolve to
pets to be blown in different direc- fight no prospect of assistance from
tions throughout that region. By the abroad.' He thus shut them up in'mountain of Ephraim,' is not meant that land as their prison, in which
any particular mountain, but the they were pleasing themselves as
mountainous tract or district gene- their palace and paradise.' Henry.
rally. Ehud, though a Benjamite,   29. All lZstly, and alW.! men of valor.
applied first to the tribe of Ephraim, The best and choicest of all the king




B. C. 1336.]             CHAPTER  II.                              41
30 So Moab was subdued that gar the  son  of Anath, which
day under the hand of Israel; slew of the Philistines six hunand c the land had rest fourscore  dred men  e with  an  ox-goad;
years.                              f and he also delivered - Israel.
31 IT And after him was d Sham-   e 1 Sam. 17. 47, 50. f ch. 2. 16. g ch. 4.
ver. ll. r ch. 5. 6, 8. 1 Sam. 13. 19, 22. 1, 3, &c. and 10. 7, 17, and 11. 4, &c. I Sam.
of Moab's forces, picked troops, com- says,' the country people were now
posed of men of bulk and stature, everywhere at plough in the fields,
able-bodied and high-spirited, whom  in order to sow cotton.  It was obEglon had stationed on that side the servable, that in ploughing they used
Jordan to overawe and keep Israel goads of extraordinary size; upon
in subjection. Chal.' every one ter- measuring of several, I found them
rible and full of valor.'           eight feet long, and at the bigger end
31. After him was Shamrgar.  Of six inches in circumference.  They
the tribe and family of Shamgar no- were armed at the lesser end with a
thing is said in the Scripture, except sharp prickle for driving the oxen,
that he was the son of Anath, nor are at the other end with a small spade,
we informed how long he judged Is- or paddle of iron, strong and massy,
rael. From  his having to do prin- for cleansing the plough from the
cipally with  the Philistines, it is clay that encumbers it in working.
probable that he originated in one of May we not from hence conjecture,
the tribeshbordering upon their terri- that it was with such a goad as one
tory, as perhaps that of Judah or Dan. of these, that Shamgar made that
-~ With asn ox-goad. Hehb.-hI2   prodigious slaughter related of him,
malmad, from the root hi7  lamad, to Judges 3. 21. I am confident that
teach, and literally rendered'an in- whoever should see one of these instructer of oxen;' i. e. an instrument struments, would judge it to be a
by which they are brought into due weapon not less fit, perhaps fitter,
subjection, analogous to which we than a sword for such an execution.
have, Hos. 10. 11, 11'77Zh    l5~a    Goads of this sort I saw always used
eglth malmedAh, a heifer that is hereabouts, and also in Syria; and
taught, and Jer. 31. 18,'I was chas- the reason is, because  the same
tised iht5 M)     keIZ:  heegel lo lurmmcd, single person both drives the oxen,
as a bullock not taught, i. e. not train- and  also holds and manages the
ed to subjection, though rendered less plough; which makes it necessary
accurately in our translation,' unac- to use such a goad as is above decustomed to the yoke.' The Sept. scribed, to avoid the encumbrance
and Vulg. render the original by a of two instruments.'  This is concoulter or plomghshlare, but that the firmed by Mr. Buckingham, who,
ox-goad still used in Palestine is a in describing his journey from Soor
weapon sufficiently destructive for (Tyre) to  Acre, remarks of the
this purpose, if wielded by a strong ploughing  that he witnessed, that
and skilful hand, appears highly' oxen were yoked in pairs, and the
probable from the description of this plough was small and of simple conimplement given by Maundrell, He struction, so that it seemed necessary
4*




42                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1316.
CHAPTER  IV.              of the LORD when Ehud was
AND a the children of Israel dead.
again did evil in the sight              a ch. 2. 19.
for two to follow each other in the 1. 13, where Othniel is said to have
same furrow, as they invariably did. taken Kirjath-sepher, though no one
The husbandman holding the plough will suppose he did it unassisted. So
with one hand, by a handle like that also in regard to the exploits of the
of a walking crutch, bore in the other three champions of Israel mentioned
a goad of seven or eight feet in 2 Sam. 23. 8-12.  But this interprelength, armed with a sharp point of tation appears on the whole less
iron at one end, and at the other with likely. The incident is evidently rea plate of the same metal shaped like corded as something uncommon and
a caulking-chisel. One attendant on- marvellous, and as divine interposily was necessary for each plough, tions no more strange frequently ocas he who guided it, with one hand curred during the days of the judges,
spurred the oxen with the points of we deem it safer to abide by the exthe goad, and cleansed the earth act letter of the text.'It is no matfrom the ploughshare by its spaded ter how weak the weapon is, if God
heel with the other.' Shamgar was direct and strengthen the arm.  An
perhaps quietly following the plough, ox-goad, when God pleases, shall do
at the time when the Philistines more than Goliath's sword.  And
made a sudden  inroad upon the sometimes he chooses to work by
country for purposes of plunder, and such unlikely means, that the excelbeing moved by God to oppose them, lency of the power may appear to be
and having neither spear nor sword of God.' Henry. The brief account
at hand, he availed himself of the here given of Shamgar here suggests
implement with which he was driv- the remark, (1) That the most dising his oxen, and with that effected tinguished men have often risen from
the slaughter here described. The the meanest employments. (2) That
achievement was probably miracu- when a ploughman is raised up by
lous on his part, like that of Samson God to hold the reins of government,
in killing so many thousands of the or a fisherman is elevated to the
Philistines with the jaw-bone of an apostleship, he will qualify them for
ass; though several respectable com- their work and bless them with sucmentators suppose that instead of cess.
withstanding the enemy alone, he
put himself at the head of a hastily       CHAPTER  IV.
gathered band of country people,   1. The children of Israel againdid
who, arming themselves with the im- evil in the sight of the Lord. This
plements of tillage with which they mode of expression when used, as
were occupied, fell upon the invaders here, of the whole body of the nation,
and put them to a total rout. In sup- seems to imply a general and open
port of this sense it is affirmed, that defection from the worship of God,
a leader is often put for the force so that the services of the sanctuary
which he commands, as above, ch. I were in a great measure neglected.




B. C. 1316.]             CHAPTER  IV.                               43
2 And the  LORD b sold them  adSisera, which dwelt in eHarointo the hand of Jabin king of sheth of the Gentiles.
Canaan that reigned in 0Hazor,  3 And the children of Israel
the captain of whose host was cried unto the LoRD; for he had
b Ch. 2. 14. CJosh. 11. 1, 10, and 19. 36.    d 1 Sam. 12.9. Ps. 83. 9. e ver. 13, 16.' What a continued circle is here of ascendency over Israel, who were
sins, judgments, repentance, deliver- exceedingly oppressed under his rod.
ance! The conversation with idola- Their former defeat by the chosen
ters taints them with sin, their sin people, would  naturally  provoke
draws on judgment, the smart of the them to make their burdens as heavy
judgment moves them to repentance, as possible, while on the other hand,
on their repentance follows speedy the misery of the sufferers would be
deliverance, on their peace and de- aggravated by  the reflection, that
liverance they sin again! Who would these Canaanites had once been connot think idolatry an absurd and un- quered and subdued by them, and
natural thing. which as it hath the might now  have been under their
fewest inducements, so hath it also feet and incapable of molesting them,
the most direct prohibitions from God; if their own slothfulness, cowardice
and yet after all their warnings, and unbelief had not given them the
Israel falls into it again. Neither af- advantage.   To be oppressed by
fiction nor repentance can secure an those whom  their fathers had conIsraelite from  redoubling his worst quered, and whom they had foolishly
sin, if he be left to his own frailty.' spared, must have greatly embittered
Bp. Hall.-r WhMen Ehud was dead. their bondage. No reverses are so
This appears to be inserted not mere- trying as those which give the upper
ly to indicate the time when this hand to persons or events that have
apostasy took place, but also to ac- once been under our complete conquit Ehud of all participation in it. trol.-   f EHarosheGh  of the Gentrles.
Had he been alive there would have Or,' IHarosheth of the nations,' i. e.
been less likelihood of its occurring.  of the heathen nations as opposed to
2. Sold theym.  See on ch. 2. 14. the Hebrews, so called perhapsfrom
-~ Jabin, king of Canaaaan.  That the remains of the Canaanitish nais, of the region where the greatest tions having resorted thither in great
body of the Canaanites dwelt, which numbers to assist Sisera, the comwas in the northern section of the mander of Jabin's armies, and to
country.  This Jabin was perhaps a obtain his protection. It was situated
descendant, as well as successor of in the tribe of Naphtali, near the
the king of the same name, who west borders of the Lake Samechonireigned also in Hazor, and who was tis, in the region which was afterrooted and slain, and his city burnt wards called, perhaps in allusion to
ly Joshua, Josh. 11. 1, 10.  In pro- this passage,'Galilee of the Gentiles.'
eess of time, it appears that the city   3. Cried eunlo the Lord.' Those
had been rebuilt, its power regained, who abuse prosperity shall know
its losses retrieved, and by degrees the cries of adversity.' HIaweis.the king of Hazor had obtained the ~I Nine Alndred chariots of iron.




44                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1316
nine hundred fchariots of iron; 4 IT And Deborah, a prophet.
and twenty years ghe mightily  ess, the wife of Lapidoth, she
oppressed the children of Israel. judged Israel at that time.
f ch.l. 19. g ch. 5. 8. Ps. 106. 42.
Had so many at his service and under sex then living to judge the people;
his control.  It is probable that part that is, by acting as God's mouth to
of them belonged to the neighboring them, correcting abuses, redressing
powers (ch. 5. 19,) who were confed- grievances, and determining causes,
erate with him on this occasion, but especially in matters pertaining to
altogether they made out the vast the law and the worship of God. She
number here mentioned.'God pro- was resorted to by the people of Isvides, on purpose, mighty adversa- rael, from different parts, for judgries for his church, that theirhumilia- ment or counsel relative to subjects
tion may be greater in sustaining, of general interest to the nation, or
and his glory may be greater in de- that part of it where she resided, and
liverance.   Bp. Hall.- If Twenty discharged her duty by expounding
years. A longer period of oppression  the Scriptures, and animating the
than either of the former, because magistrates in their several districts
God proportions the judgments of his to put the laws in execution.' I do
sinning people to the aggravation of not find any prophet in Israel during
their offences.                    their sin; but so soon as I hear news
4. And Deborah aprophetess. Heb. of their repentance, mention is made
try7W: N m il'1'=1  Deborah ishhal  of a prophetess, and judge of Israel.
nebiah, Deborah a woman a pro- There is no better sign of God's rephletess.  The words' prophet,' and  conciliation than the sending of his'prophetess,' are of a very extensive holy messengers to any people; he is
and somewhat ambiguous significa- not utterly fallen out with those whom
tion in the Old Testament, being he blesses with prophecy.' Bp. Hall.
sometimes applied to persons extra- Under every dispensation the Most
ordinarily endowed of God with the High exercises his prerogative as a
power of foretelling future events or sovereign in the bestowment of spiritof working miracles, or of chanting  ual gifts, and though women, under
or singing forth the praises of God the Christian economy, are precluded
under supernatural influence; and from the function of public teachers,
sometimes to those who were re- yet nothing hinders them from makmarkably instructed in divine know- ing the most eminent attainments in
ledge by the immediate inspiration  divine knowledge, and  becoming
of the Spirit of God, and therefore able in a private capacity to render
appointed to act as interpreters of the most signal services to the minhis will. As to Deborah, she proba- istry and the cause of Christ. The
bly belonged to the latter class, and import of the name Deborah is'a
was perhaps only a woman of emi- bee;' an equivalent to which we find
nent holiness, prudence. and know- in the classic name Melissa, signifyledge of divine things, by which she ing also a bee. Females possessed of
was qualified above any of the other her spirit in respect to the assiduous




B. C. 1316.]            CHAPTER  IV.                             45
5 hAnd she dwelt under the Ephraim: and the children of
palm-tree of Deborah, between  Israel came up to her for judgRamah and Beth-el in mount ment.
h Gen. 35. 8.
study of the Scriptures, will find and oppressors of their country. But
themselves, like David, feeding upon so far as the work of judging the
that which is sweeter to their taste people depended upon counselling
than honey or the honey-comb, and and directing them in difficultcases,
in the benevolent employments to and expounding the will of God unwhich it will prompt them, will der the influence of the spirit of proevince the busy and untiring dili- phecy, this, though a woman, she
gence of their insect exemplar.-   might be qualified to do.  Had this
~r Tie wife of Lapidoth. The ter- office, at this time, been filled by a
mination of the word is the IHeb. man, it would probably have given
feminine plural, which very seldom  alarm to Jabin, and afforded a preoccurs in the names of men. Some text to oppress the nation with still
therefore render it'woman of Lapi- greater burdens, and perhaps to atdoth,' as if it were the name of a tempt to crush them altogether. Joplace.  Others, as Lapidoth taken sephus, speaking of this period, says,
appellatively signifies lamps, would'When they (the IsraeliLes) were beread it a' woman of lamps,' i. e. one come penitent, and were so wise as
who made wicks for the lamps of to learn that their calamities arose
the tabernacle. Others again, with from their contempt of the laws, they
more show  of probability, would'besought Deborah, a certain prophettranslate it a' woman of illumina- ess among them, to pray to God to
tions or splendors,' by which they take pity on them, not to overlook
would understand a woman super- them now they were ruined by the
aaturally enlightened, endowed with Canaanites.' Ant. B. V. clh. 5. Comsxtraordinary wisdom, and who had spare what is said of Samuel, 1 Sam.
*hus become very eminent and illus- 7. 6, 8.
trious. After all, the present render-   5. She dwvelt under the palm-tree of,ng,' wife of Lapidoth,' is the most Debora'h. That is, perhaps, collect.
4robable.  Thus 2 Kings 22. 14, a palm-grove, a pleasant and shady'Huldah the prophetess, the wife of recess, amidst a thick plantation of
Shallumu.'  And for examples of palm-trees; which from this circumfeminine terminations in the names stance went ever after by the name
of men, see'Shelomith,' 1 Chron. of Deborah's palm-grove. Whether
23. 9;' Meramoth,' Ezra 8. 33; and this is designed to intimate that her
Mikloth,' 1 Chron. 27.4.- S Judg- ordinary settled habitation was se-,d Israel. That is, in the manner lected in this place, or that her judghbove described.  It can hardly be ment-seat was fixed here in the open
supposed that she performed all the air for hearing the applications that
luties usually involved in the office were made to her, it is not easy to
of a judge of Israel, of which one of determine.  The original (rZw'1
the principal was leading the tribes yosthebeth,,was sitting,) will admit of
in person to war against the enemies either sense. From the phrase'sit



46                          JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1296
6 And she sent and called unto him, Hath not the LORD
iBarak the son of Abinoam out God of Israel commanded, sayof k Kedesh-naphtali, and said ing, Go, and draw toward mount
i Ileb. 11. 32. k Josh. 19. 37.  Tabor, and take with thee ten
ting in judgment,' Ps. 9. 8, it would evidently is incorrect, as the verb in
appear, that the latter is the more the original never has this meaning,
genuine import of the words.-  and the exact rendering of the pre~T Betweenq Ramath and Bethel in position is in or upon mount Tabor,
mount Ephraim. Consequently very instead of toward.  A  nearer apnear the ccnfines of the tribes of Ben- proximation to the sense of the Hejamin and Ephraim, in one of which brew must be attempted, and here as
lay Ramah, and in the other Bethel, in other cases of doubtful interpretathe former about six miles north of tion, the prevailing usag'e (usus loJerusalem, the latter about twelve.  quendi) of the sacred writers in re6. Kedesh-naphtali.  So called to gard to the word in question, must
distinguish it from two other cities afford the clew  to our inquiries.
of the same name, the one in Issa- That its primary import is to draw,
char, the other in Judah.  This to draw out, and thence, in some
place was situated on an eminence, cases, to proloong, to protract, as
about eight miles north-west from the the sound of a trumpet in blowing,
head of the sea of Galilee. To Kedesh is universally conceded.  Indeed,
she sent fobr Barakl, in virtue of the Le Clerc, Schmid, and others, on the
authority with which she was invest- ground of its being applied to the
ed as prophetess, and which seems to long-drawvn sound of a trumpet, Ex.
have been generally acknowledged 17. 13; Josh. 6. 5, propose to supply
by her people.' He could do nothing the original word for trumpet and to
without her head, nor she without take it as a command to Barak to go
his hands; both together made a com- and blow tle t'rumpet on mount Tabor,
plete deliverer and effected a com- as a signal for the gathering of the
plete deliverance. The greatest and tribes, as Ehud did upon mount
best are not self-sufficient, but need Ephraim. Gesenius and Winer in
one another.' Ueknr?. -    labtIa  not their lexicons, understand it of draw.
the Lord God of Israel comnmanded, ing out, or asunder, a military force,
&c.  The usual form of a strong i. e. intrans. extending, expandiqng,
affirmation. It does not appear, how- spreading themselves out. A preferever, that Barak had received any able sense we thinKr to be that of
command whatever previous to this drawqving, dqafting, or enlisting, not.
time. —-TGo and draw toward mouLnt perhaps by. compulsion, but by argu
Tabor. The true sense of the term  ment and persuasion; not so much'draw,' in this connexion, is a point to raise an army of conscripts, as a
much  debated  by commentators. band of volunteers; as will be easily
According to the rendering in our inferred from the tenor of Deborah's
common translation, it would natu- song in the ensuing chapter, which
rally be taken as a command to ap- is in part a reproof to several of the
proach toward mount Tabor; but this tribes for not offering themselves wil



B. C. 1296.]             CHAPTER  IV.                               47
thousand men of the  children  ofN aphtali, and of the children
of Zebulun;
lingly on this perilous emergency.  When arrived at the summit, the
How  much support this rendering  traveller is astonished to find an oval
receives from parallel usage will be of half a mile in extent, commanding
seen firom  the followin, citations. the finest view any where to be obCant. 1. 4,' Draw me, we will run tained in the whole compass of Palafter thee;' i. e. secretly but power- estine.  On this plain at the east end
fully constrain me.  Jer, 31. 3,'I is a mass of ruins, apparently the rehave loved thee with an everlasting  mains of churches, lowers, strong
love; therefore with loving kindness walls, and fortifications, all bearing?alve I drawn thee.'  H-os. 11. 4,' I the traces of having been erected in
drew theml  with cords o' a man, with  a very remote antiquity.   Several
bands of' love;' i. e. by the power of grottos and cisterns are also pointed
moral suasion; by arguments and out.'From its top,' says Maundmotives suited to their -rational na- rell,' you have a prospect which, it
tures. In like manner, we suppose nothing else, will reward the labor
Barak was ordered to go and use of ascending it. It is impossible for
hVs utmost endeavors to stir up the man's eyes to have a higher gratifiir.jnds of his countrymen, and as a cation of this nature. On the northpopular advocate of any cause draws west, you discern, at a distance, the
partisans after him, so he was to pre- Mediterranean, and all round you
vail upon as many as possible to en- have  the spacious and beautiful
gage with him in the proposed enter- plains of Esdraelon  and  Galilee.
prise. See on ch. 5. 14. -- Mount Turning a little southward you have?Tabor. An isolated mountain which  in view the high mountains of Gilrises on the north-eastern side of the boa, fatal to Saul and his sons. Due
great plain of Esdraelon in Galilee, east you discern the sea of Tiberias,
and situated about six miles south- distant about one  day's journey.'
east of Nazareth. It is described as The mountain is now called Djebel
having the appearance of a cone with  Tonrr. VT Ten tthossa's-d men. Ten
the point cut off; but travellers vary  thousand more or less.  Not that he
in their estimate of its height, which  was to be tied to this precise number,
is probably about 2,500 or 3,000 feet. nor exclusively to these two tribes;
It is remarkable for standing alone, for it is plain from ch. 5. 14-23, that
though there are several eminences several other tribes, asEphraim, Benin the neighborhood, all which it jamin, Manasseh, and Issachar, volcompletely overtops.  It is very fer- unteered recruits on the occasion,
tile and is entirely covered with green  while those that withheld them are
oaks and other trees, shrubs, and reproved, and Meroz cursed for takodoriferous plants. Roads and paths ing the stand of neutrality; but the
are made on the south side of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali are
mountain, which lead to its top by more especially mentioned, because
winding ascents, and are sufficiently they had probably been the princieasy to admit of riding to the tcp. pal sufferers under the oppressive




48                           J U LGlS;.                [B. C. 1296.
7 And'I will draw unto thee, and I will deliver him into thine
to the m river Kishon, Sisera the  hand?
captain  of Jabin's army, with   8 And Barak said unto her, If
his chariots and his multitude;  thou wilt go with me, then I
I Exod. 14.4. mch. 5.21. 1 Kings 18. 40. will go: but if thou wilt not go
Ps. 83. 9, 10.                     with me, then I will not go.
rule of Jabin, and were nearer at hand he would otherwise have done.  In
to the scene of the approaching con- like manner, Moses' lack of faith,
flict than any of the rest. In addition when ordered to go upon a mission
to this, Barak himself was of the tribe to Pharaoh, led God to divide the
of Naphtali, and the esteem in which  honor of that embassy with Aaron,
he was doubtless held, would natu- which would otherwise haveredoundrally bring numbers of them  to his ed to Moses alone, Ex. 4. 14.  Still
standard.                          it is evident from the apostle's com7. And I will draw utnto thee. The mendation, Heb. 11. 32, that Barak
same word as that employed in the possessed true  though weak faith,
preceding verse, and having a kin- and that it was from a profound condred import. God would' draw the viction of the spirit of God's dwellhosts of Sisera to the river Kishon,' ing and speaking in Deborah, that
by so ordering the events of his pro- he so earnestly desired her pr esence.
vidence as to afford motives to them  Could he but enjoy this, he would
to concentrate in all their force at feel that he possessed a pledge and
that point.  They were not to be earnest of the di~vine blessing, and
drawn together by physical, but by this was showing a respect to God's
moral influence.  Their counsels prophets, which implied a genuine
were to be so overruled by a secret faith, and was no doubt highly acdivine direction, that they should ceptable as far as it went.   But
result in their being brought together though it would naturally be a source
at that place, as sheep for the slaugh- of great satisfaction and encourageter, and yet their utmost freedom of ment to him, to have the prophetess
will left undisturbed.' When God with him to animate his soldiers, and
will destroy his enemies, their re- to be consulted as an oracle upon all
sistance is in vain; and their gather- occasions, yet it is plain that he ought
ing to battle is only rushing into the to have gone directly forward withsnare.' Haweis.-    The river Ki- out her, relying on the God of Debowhon. See on ch. 5. 21.            rah, who had expressly and uncon8. If thou wilt go with me, &c. By ditionally promised him the victory,
making his obedience conditional v. 7. How  rare, ala.s! is simple,
when the command was absolute, Ba- child-like confidence in God! How
rak showed that his faith was marred difficult is it for men, and the best of
by infirmity, and this conviction is men, to break away from undue deconfirmed by Deborah's answer, in pendance on an arm of flesh, even
which she intimates to him  that he when assured by the most express
shall not receive the same honor or declaration of God, that he will updistinction from  the enterprise, that hold and deliver them, and be to




B. C. 1296.]           CHAPTER  IV.                            49
9 And she said, I will surely the hand of a woman. And
go with thee: notwithstanding Deborah arose, and went with
the journey that thou  takest Barak to Kedesh.
shall not be for thine honor; for  10 IF And Barak called ~Zebuthe LORD shall "sell Sisera into lun and Naphtali to Kedesh;
n ch. 2. 14.                     o ch. 5. 18.
them more than armies of strength, was she of success that she calls his
or munitions of rocks!          engaging in the war but the under9. I will surely go with thee.  An taking of a journey.'-~ The Lord
indulgence to human infirmity, such shall sell Sisera into the hand of a
as the divine condescension often woman.  Some understand this of
afforded to his weak and wavering Deborah herself, but we think the
servants. Were God's thoughts like designed allusion is to Jael. Of her
ours and his ways like ours, he the words may be understood literwould have been far more apt to dis- ally; applied to Deborah they can
card Barak altogether and say to only be explained by a figure of
him, that if he had not faith enough speech. Besides, if spoken of Deboto trust the promise of Him who rah, the sentence merely declares
cannot lie, he would call some one what he knew before. He was no
to the service who had, and to whom  doubt aware that if she went with
he would give the glory of an exploit him it would diminish the credit of
which he had in so cowardly a man- his success, yet notwithstanding he
ner declined. But with characteris- was sensible of this he insisted upon
tic kindness the Most High is pleased her accompanying him.  But in reto yield somewhat to his perverse- gard to the part Jael was to act inthe
ness, and Deborah, under the divine transaction, he of course knew noprompting, engages to accompany thing. This was a pure prediction
him. While the parties thus seem  uttered by Deborah in the spirit of
in effect to have changed sexes, it is prophecy, and such he would underobviousl j meet that some tokens of stand it to be when the event was acdivine disapprobation should mark complished.-  ~Deborah —went with
Barak's faint-heartedness, and he is Barak to Kedesh. Consequently Baconsequently told that he is to share rak had previously, in obedience to
the glory of the victory with a weak her summons, left Kedesh and rewoman.-..  Tlhe journey that thou paired to her at her residence betakest shall not be for thine honor. tween Ramah and Beth-el.  The
Heb.' thine honor shall not be upon above conversation was undoubtedly
the way which thou goest.' That held by the parties in person after
is, probably, the way, the conduct, they met.
the course which thou art proposing   10. And Barak called Zebulun and
in this matter shall not be such as to Naphtali. The original for' called'
redound to thy credit.  If, however, being in the Hiphil form, properly
it be taken as read in our translation, signifies caused to call, i. e. assemthen the remark of Henry may be ble by means of emissaries setvery well founded, that' so confident among the tribes.  Whether Whis
5




50                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1296
and he went up with ten thou- r Hobab  the'father-in-law   of
sand men P at his feet: and De- Moses, had severed himself from
borah went up with him.            the Kenites, and  pitched  his
11 Now  Heber q the Kenite, tent unto the plain of Zaanaim,
which was of the children of  swhich is by Kedesh.
p See Ex. 11. 8. 1 Kings 20. 10. q ch. 1.16.  r Num. 10. 29. s ver. 6.
was done, as some suppose, by the way devotees, when addressing the
blowing of trumpets, the common  gods, always speak of themselves as
signal for war, or otherwise, is un- being at their feet.  When the Oricertain. —.~ Went >up wihA ten thou- entals speak of his Majesty of Brisand men at his feet. Heb.' went tain, they often alludeto the millions
up with his feet ten thousand men.' who are at his feet. The governors,
Such is the literal rendering of the generals, or judges in the East, are
original, from  which most of the said to have the people of such counversions depart, and so lose the tries, or armies, or districts, at their
exact shade of meaning which we feet. Nay, it is common for masconceive the words intended to con- ters, and people of small possessions,
vey, viz. that the ten thousand ac- to speak of their domestics as being
companied him with as much alac- at their feet. It is therefore heard
rity as though all their feet had be- every day, for " I will send my serlonged to his body; in other words, vants," en-ical-adiyila, " those at my
they were entirely at his control, ob- feet."' Roberts.
sequious to his beck and bidding.   11. Now  Heber the Kenite, &c.
The phrase may appear uncouth, This versecomes in here parenthetibut it is highly significant, and in all cally, to prepare the way for what is
cases we would aim  to adhere as soon to be said about Jael, a woman
closely as practicable to the very let- of this family. It would otherwise
ter of the original. The intelligent seem singular, that when the writer
reader would prefer to know pre- had before said, ch. 1. 16, that this
cisely what the sacred penman says, family had passed into the tribe of
and then to be left to put such a con- Judah, and was dwelling in the wilstruction upon it as to his mind the derness south of Arad, that one of
evidence of the case admits or re- the stock was found abiding so far
quires. Comp. ch. 5. 15, and 8. 5.- north as the tribe of Naphtali. He'The phrase " men at his feet," did accounts for it by saying that the innot, I believe, refer to any particular dividual in question had emigrated
class of soldiers, but applied to all, to a distance from  his brethren.
whether they fought in chariots, on  The verse should have been includhorses, or on foot.  This form of ed in the usual marks of a parenthespeech is used in eastern books to sis.-~  Pitched his tent unto. That
show how many obey or serve under is, gradually shifted his habitation
the general. It may be taken from  towards. See on Gen. 13. 12. He
the action of a slave being prostrate  doubtless followed the nomade mode
at the feet of his master, denoting of life.
submission or obedience.  In this   12. And they shtowed Sisera.  A




B  C. 1296.]            CHAPTER  IV.                              51
12 And they showed Sisera which the LORD hath delivered
that Barak the son of Abinoam  Sisera into thy hand: tis not
was gone up to mount Tabor.   the LORD gone out before thee?
13 And  Sisera  gathered  to- So  Barak  went down  from
gether all his chariots, even nine mount Tabor, and ten thousand
hundred chariots of iron, and all men after him.
the people that were with him,  15 And " the LORD discomfited
from Harosheth of the Gentiles Sisera, and all his chariots, and
unto the river of Kishon.          all his host, with the edge of
14 And Deborah said unto Ba-'
t Deut. 9. 3. 2 Sam. 5. 24. Ps. 68. 7.
rak, Up; for this is the day in Isai. 52. 12. u s. 83. 9, 10. see Josh. 10.10.
common idiom for'it was told Sise- going before one in battle, when
ra.' See on Gen. 16. 14.          thus  explained, is equivalent to
13. Gathered together. The same making sure a successful result. So
word in the original with that spoken 2 Sam. 5. 24,' And let it. be when
of Barak, v. 10, and there rendered thou hearest the sound of a going in'called.' In both cases it means to the tops of the mulberry trees, that
assemble by proclamation.-  ~ Unto then thou shalt bestir thyself; for
the river Kishon. That is, gathered then shall the Lord go out before thee,
unto the river Kishon. The writer to smite the host of the Philistines.'
is not giving the boundaries of the Nothing so encourages a good man
severalnations that were confederate in the way of.duty or of danger, as
with Sisera, nor stating that theyex- the conviction that the Lord goes
tended from Harosheth of the Gen- before him, and that he is acting
tiles unto the river Kishon.       under his direction.-~ Barak went
14. lcathl delivered Sisera into thy down from the moun.t.  Instead of
hand. Will as certainly deliver as making it his chief object to mainif it were already done. By Sisera tain the post which he had chosen,
here is meant his army, for as to with all its advantages, on the top of
Sisera himself, he was not delivered the mount, where he was completely
into the hand of Barak, but of Jael, unassailable  by the enemy's iron
as Deborah had before announced, chariots, he heroically sallies down
v. 9.-IT  Is not the Lord gone out to the level plain with his far infebefore thee?  As God had expressly rior force, in order that by giving
said, v. 7, that he would draw Sise-, Sisera every advantage, the glory of
ra's army with his chariots and his the victory to be achieved over him
multitudes together to the river Ki- might be so much the greater.
shon, and then deliver them into Ba-   15. The Lord discomfited Sisera.
rak's hand, so  Deborah in these Or, as the Heb. implies, confounded,
words simply intimates that God threw them into disorder, drove them
had thus far been as good as his pro- tumultuously together, causing chamise, that he had gone out before riots to break and overthrow chariots,
Barak in the sense of putting every- and horses and men to be mingled
thing in readiness for his achieving in their fall in wild confusion. It
the promised victory. The Lord's was not so much the bold and unex



52                          JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1296.
the sword before Barak; so that and all the host of Sisera fell
Sisera lighted down off his cha- upon  the edge of the sword;
riot, and fled away on his feet.  and there was not a man left.
16 But Barak  pursued  after   17 Howbeit, Sisera fled away
the chariots, and after the host, on his feet to the tent of Jael
unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: the wife of Heber the Kenite:
pected charge of Barak that produc- may suppose that he had therefore
ed this effect, as a supernatural panic, despised and defied the armies of the
a terror from  God, that seized their living God, because they were all on
spirits, threw them into irretrievable foot, and had neither chariot nor
confusion, and made them  an easy  horse, as he had; justly therefore is
prey to the sword. It is said ch. 5. he made ashamed of his confidence,
20, that' the stars from heaven fought and forced to quit it, and thinks himagainst Sisera,' and Josephus gives | self then most safe and easy when
the following very probable account he has got clear of his chariot.
of the terrific scene.'When they  Thus they are disappointed who rest
were come to a close fight, there on the creature.' Henry.
came down from  heaven a great   16. Fell upon the edge of the sword.
storm, with a vast quantity of rain  Rather, fell by the edge of the sword,
and hail, and the wind blew the rain  -~  There was not a man left. Heb.
in the face of the Canaanites, and so TCVI  7Y "IIN=z  H  lo nisher ad ahod,
darkened their eyes, their arrows and  there was not left unto one.  Joseslings were of no advantage to them; phus says that Sisera's army on this
nor would the coldness of the air occasion consisted of three hundred
permit the soldiers to make use of thousand  footmen,  ten  thousand
their swords, while this storm did horsemen, and three thousand charnot so much incommode the Israel- iots. Of these only nine hundred
ites, because it came on their backs. may have been iron chariots, as
They also took such courage upon stated by the sacred historian.
the apprehension that God was as-   17. To the tent of Jael, the wife of
sisting them, that they fell upon the Hebelr the Kenite. That is, probably,
very midst of their enemies, and slew  to Jael's apartment of the tent, the
a great number of them, so that some harem, the women's quarters.' We
of them fell by the Israelites, some m ust consider these Kenites as Arabs,
fell by their own horses, which were and estimatetheirproceedingsaccordput into disorder, and not a few were ingly. Sisera's claim on Jael, in the
killed by their own chariots.' Ant. absence of Heber, was perfectly proB. V., ch. 5.-. S isera lighted per.  When a stranger comes to an
down —and fled away on his feet. Arab camp, where he has no acTo guard more effectually against quaintance, he proceeds to the first
being discovered. Had he fled in tent, and if the proprietor is absent,
his chariot he would have been lia- his wife and daughters are not only
ble to be recognized and taken or authorised, but required, to perform
slain.'His chariots had been his the duties of hospitality to him. As
pride and his confidence; and we a character for liberal hospitality is




B. C. 1296.]             CHAPTER  IV.                             53
for there was peace between Ja- 18 ~ And Jael went out to
bin the king of Hazor and the  meet Sisera, and said unto him,
house of Heber the Kenite.         Turn in, my lord, turn in to me;
an actual distinction of an Arab, no pears to have felt quite certain that
one can with honor repel from the the pur'suers would not dare search
tent a stranger who claims hospitali- the harem, and indeed it is almost
ty, nor, in ordinary circumstances, certain that they would not have
does any one desire to do so; on the done so; for the Hebrews had too
contrary, there is rather a disposition long and too recently been themselves
to contend who shall enjoy the privi- a nomade people, not to have known
lege of granting him entertainment. that a more heinous and inexpiable
In the present instance Sisera's ap- insult could not be offered to the
plication to the tent of the Sheikh, neutral Kenite Emir, than to disturb
whose privilege it more especially the sanctity of his harem, or even to
was to entertain strangers, was in enter, unpermitted, the outer part of
the common course of things. As his tent.  Wve very much doubt
belonging to a friendly people, Sise- whether they would have ventured,
ra's claim for protection was as valid even if they had been certain that
as a common claim for. hospitality, Sisera was there, to have entered to
and could not be refused. Having  kill him, or take him thence, while
once promised protection to a person, under Heber's protection. This is an
and admitted him  to his tent, the answer to Bp. Patrick, who would
Arab is bound, not only to conceal have recommended Jael not to have
his guest, but to defend him, even been so hasty to act herself, but to
with his life, from his pursuers; and have waited till the pursuers came
if his tent should be forced and his and took him. They could not take
guest slain there, it is his duty to be- him, or even search for him, without
come the avenger of his blood.  On inflicting on Heber a dishonor worse
these sentiments of honor Sisera than death; neither could Jael have
seems to have relied; particularly given him up to them without bringafter Jael had supplied him with re- ing everlasting infamy -upon her famfreshments, which, in the highest ily and tribe.'Pict. Bible.-   I Thecre
sense, are regarded as a seal to the was peace between Jabin —and the
covenant of peace and safety: and house of Heber. That is, there was
in fact, after all this an Arab would no war; not that there was any league
be bound to protect with his own life offensive or defensive between them,
even his bitterest enemy, to whom  but they were not, like the Israelites,
he may inadvertently have granted objects of hostility to Jabin.  The
his protection.  It is probable that Kenites, though they wereproselytes
Jael introduced Sisera for safety into -and worshipped the true God accordthe inner or woman's part of the tent. ing to the Mosaic law, yet as they
This she might do without improprie- were strangers by birth and laid
ty, although it would be the most claim to no inheritance in the promgrievous insult for any man to intrude ised land, they seem to have deemed
there without permission. Sisera ap- it the best policy, in the midst of the
5*




54                          JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1296.
fear not.   And when he had tent, she covered him  with  a
turned  in  unto  her into  the mantle.
contentions around them, to preserve moved by a divine imprulse to execute
a strict neutrality and maintain peace, the deed she did. At first, indeed, on.
as far as possible, both with the Is- inviting him into the tent, she may
raelites and the Canaanites; and as have intended no more than the ortheir quiet, harmless way of lifeb ex- dinary hospitalities which the Orienempted them from suspicion, Jabin, tals have ever been accustomed to
appears to have offered them no mo- show to strangers and travellers, nor
lestation.  It was doubtless on these is it certain that she was even aware
grounds that Sisera thought of taking who he was, till after he had entered
refuge among them, not considering, the tent. When she had ascertained
says Henry, that though they them- this, the most natural conclusion cerselves did not suffer by Jabin's pow- tainly is, reasoning from the nature
er, yet they heartily sympathized of woman, that she would have sufwith God's Israel that did.       fered him to lie still till Barak, who
18. Turn in,.my lord, turn' in to me. was on the pursuit, had come up, or
Perhaps no more appropriate com- would in some way have communiment can be furnished on these words, cated information of his hiding-place
than the following extract from Po- to the, Israeiltes. To fall upon him
cocke, giving an account of the man- herself, unaided and alone, would
ner in which he was treated in an appear to have been an exploit surArab tent on his journey to Jerusa- passing female fortitude,. and would
lem:-' My conductor led me two or have been a conduct so decidedly
three' miles to his tent, and there he and pointedly opposed to all the prinsat with his wife and others round a ciples of honor by which Orientals
fire. The Arabs are not so scrupulous are governed, that we: know not how
as' the Turks about their women;: to account for it, unless she had been
and though they have their harem:, prompted by  a suggestion from
or women's part of the tent, yet such above, and this inference would
as they are acquainted with come seem to be confirmed, both by the
into it. I was kept in the harem for fact that it had been expressly pregreater security; the wife being al- dicted that Sisera should be deliverways with me, ~o person, even dar- ed into' the hand: of a woman, and by
ing to come into the same apartment the eulogium of Deborah, ch. 5. 24,
unless introduced by her.'  Jael in-,' Blessed above women shall Jael
vited Sisera to take refuge in her the wife of Heber the Kenite be,
own tent, or in her division of her blessed shall she be- above women in.
husband's tent, into which no stran- the tent,' on which see note. If this:
ger might presume to' enter, and were the case, she is sufficiently vinwhere he naturally supposed himself dicated by the fact, for.God has a
to be in perfect safety. There isun- right to dispose of the lives of his
doubtedly an apparent treachery in creatures as he pleases, as we see in
the conduct of Jael on this occasion, the case of Eglon, in the precedingbut the probability is that she was chapter; and probably the cup of




B. C. 1296.]            CHAPTER  IV.                             55
19 And he said unto her, Give doth come and inquire of thee,
rne, I pray thee, a little water and say, Is there any man here?
to drink; for I am thirsty. And that thou shalt say, No.
she opened X a bottle of milk,  21 Then  Jael  Heber's wife
and gave him drink, and covered  Y took a nail of the tent, and
him.                              took an hammer in her hand,
20 Again  he said unto  her, and went softly unto him, and
Stand in the door of the tent, smote the nail into his temples,
and it shall be, when any man and fastened it into the ground:
xch. 5. 25.                       y ch. 5. 26.
Sisera's iniquity was full, and his of Christian simplicity and sincerity,
life already forfeited to divine jus- nor is it any thing in its favor that
tice.  On the whole, therefore, the it here has the sanction of a wicked,
presumption is, that Jael did right, heathen warrior, doomed to destrucyet as the case was wholly extraor- tion. The practice of prevarication
dinary, it can never be established as thus inculcated upon servants, may
a precedent for others.-I  Covered be expected to react upon those who
lim withi a mantle. Or, a quilt, rug, employ them; for if they are taught
or blanket.                       to lie for others, they will be very apt
19. Opened a bottle of milk and to do it for themselves.
gave him d'rink. As if this were a   21. Took a nail of the tent. One
more palatable draught than water. of those long sharp pins or spikes
By thus doing more fbr him than he which were driven into the ground,
requested, she evinced a kinder care and to which cords were attached to
for his comfort, and increased his stretch the cloth of the tent, and keep
confidence and security. Josephus itfirmlysecured. Theywereprobasays it was' sour milk,' which is not bly made of iron; Josephus calls this
unlikely, as that is considered in the an' iron nail.' Shaw, describing the
East a very grateful and cooling tents of the Bedouin Arabs, says,
drink. See on ch. 5. 25.' these tents are kept firm and steady,
20. 7Tho  slalt say, No. It does by bracing or stretching down their
not appear, however, that Jael prom- eaves with cords tied down to hooked
ised to deny his being there. Our wooden pins, well pointed, which
regard for others may prompt us to they drive into the ground with a
many acts of kindness for them, but mallet; one of these pins answering
there is a point beyond which we to the nail, as the mallet does to the
must not go. A fearer of God will hammer, which Jael used in fastennot listen to a request that would in- ing to the ground the temples of Sisevolve the commission of sin, espe- ra.' -      Taook a hammer in her hand.
tially the sin of falsehood. The cus- Heb. M'1=Z r'l211 hNr    t1Wan vattiitom adopted in some families of in- semr eth-hammakebetlh beyBda/ih, ptt an
structing servants to say,' Not at hammer iv her hand. As tents were
home,' when a master or mistress often moved, she had probably acdoes not wish to receive company, is quired an expertness in the use of
directly at variance with the dictates the implements necessary for fasten



56                          JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1296
for he was fast asleep, and wea- 23 So " God subdued on that
ry.  So he died.                  day Jabin the king of Canaan
22 And behold, as Barak pur- before the children of Israel.
sued Sisera, Jael came out to   24 And the hand of the childmeet him, and said unto him, ren of Israel prospered, and pre-.
Come, and I will show thee the vailed against Jabin the king of
man whom thou seekest.  And Canaan, until they had destroyed
when he came into her tent, be- Jabin king of Canaan.
hold, Sisera lay dead, and the
nail was in his temples.                      z Ps. 18. 47.
ing and unfastening them.-~ And eye to the judicial sentence under
fastened it into the ground. Heb. which these devoted nations lay, that'and it went down, penetrated, to the this formidable enemy in the space
ground.' The verb is neuter, and of two verses is three times called
should be referred to the pin rather' king of Canaan;' for as such he was
than to Jael.                     to be destroyed, and so thoroughly
23. Subdued-Jabin the king of was he destroyed, that the title'king
Canaan. There is in the original of Canaan,' occurs not again in the
an apparent paranomasia, or play subsequent narrative.
upon words, of which the English
reader entirely loses sight.  The          CHAPTER  V.
Heb. word for'subdue,' and that for   The subject matter of the present'Canaan,' are from the same root; chapter is the triumphal song, sung
as if it were said,' he humbled the by Deborah and Barak, on occasion
son of humiliation;' he made good of the signal victory above recorded
the destiny of subjugation implied in of the forces of Israel over the
the very name'Canaan.'           armies of Jabin and Sisera. The
24. Pr'osper'ed and prevailed. Heb. spirit of prophecy is nearly allied to
pn21i A,1  Srin vattitek hatlOk ve- the spirit of poetry, and when the
kastihA, going, event, and was hard. efforts of genius are heightened by
On the use of the verb'to go, or to the promptings of inspiration, we may
walk,' for the gradual increase or reasonably look for results that shall
progression of any thing, see on Gen. distance all human competition. Nor
3. 8.  From  this event was to be in the present instance shall we look
dated the complete deliverance of in vain.  Considered merely as a
Israel from the yokeof Jabin. Hav- specimen of lyric composition, this
ing suffered so severely by their ode of Deborah may challenge comguilty and foolish forbearance to- parison with the finest efflhsions of
wards their enemies, they now re- the classic muse of any age or counsolve to tolerate them no} longer, but try. Though occasionally obscure
tomake an effectual riddance of them., in the original, and in the English
as a people to whom no mercy was translation, in some instances, scarceto be shown without equally offend- ly intelligible, yet it evidently breathes
ing God and endangering their own the highest spirit of poetry.  Its
interests. It was probably with an I strains are lofty and impassioned, its




B. C. 1296.]               CHAPTER   V.                             57
CHAPTER  V.                  2 Praise ye the LORD for the
HEN   a sang  Deborah and  b avenging of Israel, ~when the
J   Baralk the son of' Abinoarm    a See Ex. 15. 1. Ps. 18. title. b Ps. 18. 47.
on that day, saying,                c2 Chron. 17. 16.
images bold, varied, and lively, its   (4) The contrast to this exhibited
diction singularly happy, and it is in their present happy state of secupervaded throughout by a vein of rity from the incursions and depremingled beauty and sublimity to be dations of their enemies, especially
iound in the bards of inspiration only. at the watering places, which were
Borne away by the ecstacy and en- most exposed, and a vivid invocation
ergy of the divine impulse, she breaks to herself and Barak, as well as
forth in the most abrupt and impas- others, to join in a song of praise and
sioned appeals and personifications; triumph to the Author of their deat one moment, soaring upwards to- liverance.  v. 9-13.
wards heaven, and then returning to   (5) A commendation of such of the
earth; now touching upon the pre- tribes as volunteered on the occasion,
sent, and now upon the past; and and a stern rebuke of those which
finally closing with the grand prom- ignobly remained at home. v. 14-18.
ise and result of all prophecy, and of   (6) A glowing description of the
all the dealings of God's providence, battle, and an invocation of curses on
the overthrow of the wicked, and the  the inhabitants of Meroz, for not
triumph of the good. In arranging  coming up to the help of their breththe course and coinexion of the ren in the time.of their extremity.
thoughts in the poem, the following  v. 19-23.
divisions may be easily and naturally   (7) A  eulogy upon Jael, with a
traced.                             vivid description of the circumstances
(1) A devout thanksgiving for the of Sisera's death. v. 24-27.
burst of patriotic feeling, which led   (8) A  highly poetical change in
the nation to arise and revenge their the imagery, in which the mother of
wrongs, with a summons to the hea- Sisera is introduced in anxious imthen kings to listen to her song of patience for her son's return, and
triumph' over their allies. v. 1-3.    confidently anticipating the success(2) A description of the maonifi- ful issue of the engagement; concent scenes at mount Sinai,.and in  cluding with a solemn apostrophe to
the plains of Edom, when the Most God, praying that all his enemies
High manifested himself in behalf may perish in like manner, and exof his people, exerting his miraculous pressing the assurance that all that
power to bring them into the prom- love him  shall at last gloriously triised land. v. 4, 5.                 umph. v. 28-31.
3) A graphic sketch of the degra-   1. Then; sancg Debora/ rend Barack.
dation and oppression under which  Heb. IJD'   i1  1 1 "tI17n1 vatt&sar
the nation groaned in consequence  Debor&h ut-B&a7 d, then sang, she,
of their apostasy, the insecurity of Deboc-al/, and Baradck.  The verb is
travelling, and desertion of the villa- in the frm. sing. in order to give the
ges dorring a twenty years' servitude. precedency to Deborah, as is also the
r. 6-8.' case in the song of Miriam, Num.




58                            JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1296
people willingly offered them- ear, O ye princes; I, even I,
selves.                             will sing unto the LORD; I will
3 d Hear, 0  ye kings; give  sing praise to the LORD God of
d I)eut. 32. 1, 3. Ps. 2. 10.  Israel.
12. 1. It is not, perhaps, necessary  oJf Innearlyevery instance inwhich
to suppose that Deborah and Barak  the word occurs, the idea of loosing,
were the only singers on this occa- getting, or setting free, exemption, is
sion.  The probability is, that it was someway involved, and perhaps the
composed by Deborah, and sung un- most correct rendering, in the present
der her and Barak's direction, by the passage, would be, F'or the freeing
assembled hosts of Israel, or by a of freedoms, or, For the breaking away
choir of priests and Levites, shortly  of emancipations, i. e. for the sueafter the victory. The phrase'on  cessful efforts of the people to extrithat day,' does not necessarily restrict cate themselves from  the voke of
us to the precise day of the battle, but their oppressors, praise ye the Lord.
according to Heb. usage may imply  The predominant import is that of
simply'about that time.'           breaking away from  bonds, and this
2. Praise ye the Lord.  Heb. C:>- idea falls in very naturally with that
u11', biereku  Yehovah, bless ye the of the parallel clause, viz. of offering
Lord; i. e. bysuitable ascriptionsof themselves willingly, in order to
praise and thanksgiving.     ~ For effect their deliverance; and as the
the avenging of Israel.  The inter- act of a people in asserting their freepretation of the original phrase is at- dom, can hardly be conceived of as
tended with great difficulties. With- separate from that of punishing their
out attempting to exhibit at length  oppressors, it is probable that the
the various modes  of rendering sense of avenging has been in this
adopted by different commentators, way not unnaturally affixed by interit may be sufficient to remark, that preters to the original term.  The
the several ideas of delivering, of error, however, in our translation, is
avenging, of commanding and lead- in referring directly to God, what is
sng inwar, have had their respective really represented as the acting of
advocates among them. We know  the people.-~ Of Israel.  Heb.
of no guide to the true sense but that NiV1:t: be- Yisrail, in Israel; i. e.
of prevailing usage, and even that is among the Israelites.
not easily ascertained. We believe,   3. Hear, 0 ye kings, &c.  The
however, that it will be found by kings and princes here addressed
accurate analysis, that the leading may be understood of the princes of
idea of the verb Afti p&cra, is to free, Israel, and then it is merely a decla,
to let loose, to let break away, as the ration to them, that the prophetess is
locks of hair, when the head-gear is about to begin a song of triumph, in
taken off, or a licentious people, when  which it is implied that they should
the restraints of law  and order are join. But as kings would seem to be
removed, and thence by natural de- too lofty a title to be applied to the
rivation, to make neaked, to ioncover, leaders and elders of Israel, even in
and also to exempt, to make one clear the elevated style of poetry, the pre.




B. C. 1296.]             CHAPTER  V,                              59
4 LORD, ewhen thou wentest fthe  earth  trembled, and the
out of Seir, when thou march- heavens  dropped, the  clouds
edst out of the field of Edom, also dropped water.
f'2 Sam. 22. 8. Ps. 68. 8. Lsai. 64. 3.
e Deut. 33. 2. Ps8. 68.7.   Hab. 3. 3, o0.
ferable interpretation is to regard it emies, which prostrated them the;
as an address to the kings and poten- that it was the same goodness which
lates of Canaan, summoning their had now restored to them the free
attention to the song of triumph enjoyment of their land, that had at
about to be celebrated over them. first put them in possession of it. The
The Greek version renders it,'Hear, phrases,' when thou wentest out of
o kings, and give ear, O satraps;' Seir,' and' when thou marchedst out
the Chaldee,' Attend, ye kings, who of the field of Edom,' are merely an
came to the war with Sisera, and ye instance of poetic parallelism, Seir
rulers, who were with Jabin, king and Edom denoting the same counof Canaan;' which shows that they  try; that is to say, the mountainous
understood the word as referring to region stretching from  the southern
foreign princes, and thus the very extremity of the De-ad Sea southsame terms are used, Ps. 2. 2. The wards towards the Elanitic gulf.
import of the latter clause is, that'I, Here, however, as well as Deut. 33.
even I, a feeble woman, celebrate 2, it appears to be taken in a wider
your overthrow,' and her leading sense as including mount Sinai, the
drift is to admonish them, that how- scene of the giving of the law, and
ever high and mighty they may deem  of the grand and awful displays of
themselves, yet there is one above the majesty of Jehovah by which it
them with whom it is folly to contend, was accompanied, to which Deborah
and to whom they should be warned here alludes.  Not that her descripby Sisera's fate to submit without tion, in this and the ensuing verse,,daring hereafter to offer insult to a is to be confined to the sublime specpeople, whose cause sooner or later tacle witnessed on thatoccasion. The
omnipotence would plead.           scope of her language seems to be to
4. W/en~ thAo  wentest out of Seir. portray, in the most glowing and poAfter declaring that Jehovah should  etic imagery, the general course of
be the object of her praise, the pro- the divine manifestations in behalf
phetess, by a sudden apostrophe, ad- of Israel, the convulsions of nature
dresses him not as their present de- and the consternation of the.inhabitliverer, but as the God who had for- ants, while the Most High was conmerly  manifested his miraculous ducting  his people  miraculously
power in their behalf, while on the through the desert to put them in posway from Egypt to the land of pro- session of their promised inheritance.
mise. By comparing the former sig- These exhibitions of God's glory
nal displays of the divine majesty did, as it were, make the earth to
with the present, she would have her tremble, the heavens to drop like
hearers infer that it was the same snow before the sun, and the moun-,Dower that had now subdued their en- tains to melt; and accordingly we




60                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1296.
5 gThe mountains melted from 1 6 In the days of i Shamgar the
before  the  LORD, even  hthat son  of Anath, in the days of
Sinai from  before the LORD God  1' Jael,  the highways were un.
of Israel.
gDeut. 4. 11. Ps. 97.5. b hx. 19. 18.    i ch. 3, 31. k ch. 4. 17.
find the same general imagery em- authority, gives it the sense of melt.
ployed in other portions of inspired intg.   See Gesenius on the above
song, as Ps. 18. 8, and 68. 8, and 144. roots.
5; Deut. 33. 2; Is. 64. 1-3; Hab. 3.   6. Inv the days of Chamgaar. After
6, in some of which the present des- thus celebrating the majesty of Jehocription is adopted almost word for vah in his former appearances, the
word. It seems, in fact, to have been prophetess, in order to give her peoo
a customary beginning of Hebrew  ple a livelier sense of their deliversongs of triumph.                   ance, and excite them  to greater
5. The mosentains melted.  Heb. thankfulness, turns to depict the for1l}}  tazelu, flowed down; as if  lorn and degraded state to which Ismelted by the flames, in which, we rael had previously been reduced;
learn Ex. 19. 18, that the sacred  their highways deserted; their vilemountain was enveloped, so that it lages depopulated; their cities blockran down in streams.  Others, from  ed up; their country overrun with
the general usage of the original, the enemies' soldiers; themselves
suppose that allusion is had to tre- disarmed  and  dispirited, helpless
mendous storms of rain, which pour- and hopeless, till it pleased God to
ed down the mountain sides in such  look upon them  with compassion,
torrents, bearing  soil, rocks, and  and raise up Deborah for a deliverer.
trees with them, that the mountains - f —  I7 the days of Jael.  She is
themselves might be figuratively said  mentioned by way of honorable testo flow down.  It does not appear timonial by the side of a distinguishvery obvious, however, how this can  ed man, and in connexion with an
apply to mount Sinai, where fire and  important epoch, because from her
not water was the predominant ele- recent achievement, she no doubt at
ment. It is worthy of remark, in  this time stood very conspicuous beregard to this expression, that with  fore the eyes of the nation.  Stili
the exception of the Vulgate, which  tl-ugh these were illustrious charhas diflgexerent, flowed, all the an- act~ s, yet no complete deliverance
cient versions take the original from  was effected for Israel till Deborah
another root (5}T zalal, instead of arose. --      The highw.ays qwere sQunocgTl nazal,) and render itzwere sthaken, cupied.  Heb. Mt1'IXI~  15i  hAiel.u
agitated, meade to tremble. Thus the or h'hlthb, the hAighwawys ceased.  That
Gr., Chal., Arab., and Syr., and this is, ceased to be occupied; they were
rendering is confirmed by Is. 64. 1 abandoned by travellers, on account
3,'that the mountains might flow  of their being beset by plundering
down;' where the Heb. ('1,l nYazcl/u) hordes of their enemies.  The same
undoubtedlysignifies to quazke, though  idea is expressed  Is. 33. 8,' The
oar English version, contrary to all highways lie waste, the way-faring




B3. C. 1296.]              CHAPTER  V.                                 61
occupied,' and  the  travellers  arose, that I arose ma mother in
walked through by-ways.              Israel.
7  The inhabitants of the vil-   8 They  "chose  new   gods;
lages  ceased, they  ceased  in  then was war in the gates: ~was
Israel,  until that  I  Deborah
I Lev. 26. 22. 2 Chron. 15. 5. Isai. 33. 8.   m Isai. 49. 23. n Deut. 32. 16. ch. 2. 12,
Lain. 1, 4, and 4. 18.               17. o So 1 Sam. 13. 19, 22. ch. 4. 3.
man ceasethl.'-T Travellers.' Heb. be remarked, however, that Gesenius
hrl~h'~r1 holeki nethiboth, walk- and several other critics of distinction,
e's of paths. The original for'paths,' render the original word by'chainusually  means an  elevated, beaten pions,' or'chiefs,'instead of villages,
road.  Here it seems to designate  and  that too  upon very probable
the open public roads, in distinction  grounds.   The Gr. version also has
from the obscure and c'rooked by-ways  uvaTrot, mnighty tmen. This agrees very
which travellers were now compelled  well with the words that follow.to take.                              fA mnolt/er in Israel. A benefactress;
7. The inhabitants of the villages so termed fiom  her services towards
ceased.   Heb. I'p.    r5?  hA/delu her people.  As a deliverer of his
pe)r-izon, the village ceased; col. sing. country is called the father of it, so
for plur.  In other words, the villa- Deborah is here called a mother in
ges were deserted.  The tillers of Israel.
the soil scattered in villages over the    8. They chose new Gods.  Strange
country were obliged to forsake their or foreign gods; that is, they addictfarnms and houses, and seek shelter ed themselves to idolatry. They not
for themselves in walled cities and only submitted to it when forced upon
fortified places.  Chald.'the unwal- them, but they chose it.  Compare
led towns were desolate.'"'There are Deut. 32. 17,' They sacrificed unto
roads in these countries, but it is devils, and not to God; to gods whom
very easy to turn out of them, and  they lknew not, to nbew gods that ca'me
go to a place by winding about over newly iap, whom  your fathers knew
the lands, when that is thought safer. not.' This was the procuring cause
The account Bishop Pocock gives of all their trouble.  They forsook
of the manner in which the Arab, God, and  God  forsook them.tunder whose care he had put him.- ff-lte, was',:ain, the gates.  Heb.
self, conducted him  to Jerusalem,   t        tS n  Tar   a.z la'hem  shea'irz,
illustrates this with pertinency, which  a besieging of tlme gates; or, as Kimhis lordship tells us was by night, chi renders it,'a besieger or assaultand not by the high-road, but through  er of the Hates.'  Chal.'the nations
the fields: " and I observed," says he, came against them and expelled them
"that he avoided as Inuch as he could from their cities.'  The evident imgoing near any village or encamp- plication is, that when they lapsed
ment, and sometimes stood still, as I in;o idolatry they involved  themtlought,  tto hearken."  Just in that selves in every species of calamity,
manner people were obliged to travel and were haras:sed with wars wM:in
in Judea, in the days of Shamgar the precincts of their towns and citand Jael.' Harsmer.  It is proper to ies. As the gates, moreover, were the
6




62                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1296.
there  a shield  or spear seen  themselves willingly among the
among forty thousand in Israel? people: Bless ye the LORD.
9 My heart is toward the gov-   10 qSpeak, ye  r that ride on
ernors of Israel that Poffered
~q Ps. 105. 2, and 145, 5, r Ch, 10. 4, and
p ver. 2.             12, 1..
places where their courts of judica- pression  of Deborah therefore  is
ture were held, the continual incur- merely a poetic hyperbole.
sions of the enemy deprived the ma-   9. Mily heart is towa rd the governors,
gistrate of the dignity, and the people &c.  Heb. te1,2    le'hokekimn, the
of the benefit of government. There lawgivers. After describing the bon.
being no peace to him  that went or dage of Israel, and its effects upon
him that came in, the stated adminis- the courage of the people, the protration of justice was effectually bro- phetess, by a natural transition, re.
ken up.-~ Was there a shield or peats her exclamations of gratitude
spear seen among forty thousand in to the princes and the people, that
Israel? An interrogation stronglyimn- they had at length risen-and triumphplying a negative.  To such a state ed. Herheart was especially drawn
were they reduced that there was out in sentiments of love and honor
scarcely a shield or spear seen among  towards those heads of the tribes,
40,000Israelites. The numberspeci- who had so nobly come forward in
fied is notto be consideredas including  the hour of need, and by their exthe whole military  force of Israel, ample aroused and stimulated their
but the speaker simply gives around  countrymen to throw off the yoke.
number, and by poetical amplifica- They are called'lawgivers,' not from
tion a very large one, among whom  their enacting new laws, which was
no arms were to be found; in order to never done in Israel, but from their
indicate more strongly the destitu- giving sentence in causes that came
tion of the Israelites in this respect. before them, and administering jusFrom 1 Sam. 13. 19-22, some have tice generally. —t-Blessye theLord.
inferred that their enemies had ac- As it was the divine prompting that
tually disarmed the subject tribes, moved the leaders to the enterprise,
and that it was to this that their des- she would not, in bestowing her comtitution was owing. But this hypo- mendations upon  the instruments,
thesis is but little consonant with  lose sight of the Author of the
intrinsic probability, or with other blessing, and therefore calls upon
circumstances alluded to in the nar- the people at large to join her in a
rative.  Barak is said, ch. 4. 6, 10, grateful song of praise.
to have taken 10000 men with him    10. Speak.  Rather, Hleb, I1MTZ
to mount Tabor, and who will sup- sihn, meditate, i. e. rehearse, celepose that they went thither unpro- brate, a song of praise. —— T Ttat
vided with arms! especially when ride on white asses. Judea is a counwe are informed, v. 15, 16, that the try but little favorable to the produchosts of Sisera perished' with the tion of horses, instead of which, asses
edge of the sword before Barak,' so were anciently in general use. Of
there was not a man left. The ex- these such as were of a whitish color




B. C. 1296.]              CHAPTER  V.                               63
white asses,'ye that sit in judg-   11 They that are delivered from
ment, and walk by the way.    the noise of archers in the places
s Ps. 107. 32.
were probably the most rare and  as asses entir'ely white are rarely if
costly, and therefore were used only ever found.  The white color, it is
by eminent persons.  Some have well known, is highly prized by the
supposed that they were so called  Orientals, whether in asses, camels,
from the white garments, or capari- or elephants, and such are usually
sons spread over them i but it appears the property of princes.-    Ye that
unnatural to ascribe the color of a sit in judgment.  So rendered by
covering to the creature that wears several of the older versions, but the
it. We do not call a man white or phrase in the original is exceedingly
black, because he happens to be dificult of interpretation. Later comdressed in vestments of white or black  mentators, with much plausibility,
cloth; neither did the Hebrews. The derive the word from a root signifyexpression  naturally  suggests the ing to extend, to spread out, and uncolor of the animal itself, not of its derstand it of ca'rpets, cove'rings, or the
trappings, and this is confirmed by large outer ga'rments of the Hebrews,
the reports of travellers.' White  which were frequently spread out
asses, according  to Morier, come and used for sleeping upon at night.
from  Arabia; their scarcity makes Accordingly Prof. Robinson transthem valuable, and gives them con- lates the clause,'Ye that recline on
sequence. The men of thelaw count splendid carpets.' But after all the
it a dignity, and suited to their cha- researches of philologists, some doubt
racter, to ride on asses of this color. will still remain as to the true import
As the Hebrews always appeared in  of the original. —-IT Ye that walk by
white garments at their public festi- the way. Ye who can safely travel
vals and on days of rejoicing, or in the public highways, now no lonwhen the courts of justice were held; ger infested by prowling banditti.
so they  naturally preferred white The allusion is perhaps to traffickers
asses, because the color suited the of various descriptions, or to the humoccasion, and because asses' of this bier classes, who were much upon
color being more rare and costly, the public roads, but who seldom
were more coveted by the great and rode; so that the poet's invocation is
wealthy.  The same view is taken  to the nobles, the wealthy, and the poor,
of this question by Lewis, who says, or, in other words, to the whole nathe asses in Judea " were commonly tion, to join in the song of triumph.
of a red color; and therefore white  They were now, as the fruits of the
asses were highly valued, and used recent victory, enjoying a happy seby persons of superior note and quali- curity, directly the reverse of their
ty."' Pazton. Compare ch. 12. 14. former oppressedand calamitousconGesenius remarks that the original dition, and nothing was more proper,
term is not perhaps to be understood  than that they should celebrate in
as signifying a pure white, but a thankful strains the praises of their
light reddish color with white spots, I divine deliverer. It may be remark



64                            JUDGES.                      [B. C. 1296.
of drawing  water, there shall I of the LORD, even the righteous
they rehearse the trighteous acts iacts toward the inhabitants of
t 1 Sam. 12. 7. Ps. 145. 7.   his villages in Israel: then shall
ed that the Syr. and Arab. versions dered, as it properly may,' at,'' for,'
render the two clauses by,'Ye that' on account of.'  The prophetess
sit at home, and ye that walk by the had just called upon all the people to
way.'                                join in a song, and she now declares
11. Fr-om the noise of lthe archers in  the occasion;' Praise the Lord for
the places of drcawing water.  Heb. or on account of the voice, the joyful
tb:'1zhq2  ]   trM r l   S1i    miklcol cry, of those who divide at the wame'hatzim  ben mashabbim,) ftom the tering places.' It may be further revoice of the dividers at tlre watering- marked by way of illustration, of the
trogl'hs.  It would be easy, but of words, that as wells were very scarce
little use, to heap together an ina- in every part of the East, robbers and
mense variety of renderings, pro- banditti, generally took their stations
posed by different expositors, of this near tanks, pools, and springs, in orvery perplexing passage.  The diffi- der that they might suddenly fall
culty  arises principally from  the  upon those who came to drink; and
word    Mr-t       me'lhatzinz, translated  when the country was badly govern-'archers,' which occurs only here, ed, annoyances of this kind were
and of which lexicographers are un- very frequent.' In open, unprotected
able to determine the exact root.  If lands of' the East, the watering plait be a denominative from  t1n'hUtz, ces are at this day the scenes of conan arrow, its meaning here is un- tinual conflict and oppression.  To
doubtedly' archers;' but if; as most such places the necessity for water
modern philologists contend, it comes conducts different people, who cannot
from the verb Y2t1, it has the import any where meet in peace.  These
of dividing, although Gesenius says parties of hostile tribes fall in with
that ArT an ar'.roqw, comes from  this each other, and quarrel and fight;
root, and is so called from its divid- and thither the natives of the wilds
ino  or cleavintg the air.  According  resort to plunder the parties of trato this interpretation, the V1.1Z hy  vellers and merchants who come in
me'hatzim are either the victorious search of water.  In the deserts of
warriors returning laden with booty, Syria and Arabia, natives and stranand halting at the watering-places to gers are thus annoyed near the wells,
divide the spoil with songs of rejoic- This therefore is the principal reaing, or the shepherds who can now, son of war,-the neighborhoods of
with cheerful carols, securely drive wells being the principal seats of war
their flocks and herds to water, divid- and depredation in those countries.
ing, separating, or marshalliqng thenm  Travellers also, knowing that such
as they please. Which of these two  tribes are encamped near, or are likesenses is the correct one it is not per- ly to visit the wells, often dread to
haps possible absolutely to determine. approach them, in the fear of being
Either will suit well the connexion, plundered, if not also killed.  For
providedtheoriginalfor'froin'beren- this reason we have known parties




B. C. 1296.]             CHAPTER  V.                             65
the people of the LORD go down  tivity captive, thou son of Abito the gates.                     noam.
12 UAwake, awake, Deborah;   13 Then he  made him  that
awvakle, awake, utter a song: rernaineth Y have dominion over
arise, Barak, and x lead thy cap- the nobles among the people:
uPs. 57. 8. x Ps. 68.18.               y Ps. 49. 14.
of travellers, that were reduced to and order and good government evealmost the last extremity for want of rywhere restored.-IT Go.down to
water in the parched deserts, oblig- thegates. Shall repossess themselves
ed to avoid the places where their of the cities and  walled villages
wants might be satisfied, from hay- from which they had been expelled
ing heard that parties of Arabs were by their enemies; they shall henceencamped in the neighborhood; and forth have free access either in or
we have heard of others who from  out of the gates, as their occasions
the same cause were obliged to go might require; and as it is well
one or two days' journey out of their known that the gate was the place
way, to one watering place, in pre- of judgment in the East, they should
ference to another that lay directly in again resort in peace and safety to
their way.  No travellers, unless in the stations where justice'was admin-.
great force, dare encamp near a well, istered.
however pleasant and desirable it  12. Awake, awake, Deborah, &c.
might be, from the fear of disagreea- The prophetess here turns to herble visitors. They water their cattle, self and Barak, the leaders and heand replenish their waterskins in all roes of the triumph, in a tone of anihaste, and then go and encamp at a mated appeal and excitation.  She
distance from any roads leading to calls upon herself to dictate a strain
the well. Dr. Shaw mentions a beau- descriptive of the preparation and the
tiful rill in Barbary, which is receiv- conflict; and on Barak to lead forth
ed into a large basin, called S/hrnb his captives and display them in triwe Kr'bt; that is, Drink and away, umph before his countrymen. That
from  the great danger of meeting such appeals to one's self are very
there with robbers and assassins. common in Hebrew poetry is obvious
With equal propriety, and for the from Ps. 42. 6, 12, and 103. 1 and 5,
same reason, almost every Oriental and 104. 1, and elsewhere.-   Lead
watering-place might be called Shr'b thy captivity captive.  Lead those
we Krub.' Pict. Bible. The victory captive who before held thee in capnow gained put the whole country tivity. Comp. Ps. 68. 19; Eph. 4. 8.
under their own government, and   13. Made himL th/at remained, &c.
cleansed the land of these maraud- That is, then he (the Lord) made
ers. Instead of such danger and in- the dispirited remnant of the Israelsecurity, Deborah here intimates that ites, who had survived the oppresthey may sit down unmolested at the sion of their enemies, to obtain the
places of drawing water, and there ascendency over the nobles or chiefrehearse the righteous acts of the tains of the people of Canaan, and
Lord; the land being now in peace, made me, who am but a feeble wo6*




66                          JUDGES.                   [B:. C. 1296.
the LORD made me have do- people; out of bMachir came
minion over the mighty.           down governors, and out of Zeb14 zOut of Ephraim  was there ulun they that handle the pen
a root of them a against Amalek; of the writer.
after thee, Benjamin, among thy
z ch. 3. 27. a ch. 3. 13.            b Nun. 32. 39, 10.
man, to have dominion over the lek, since it is well known that the
mighty.                           Amalekites inhabited the country to
14. Out of Ephraim was there a the south of Palestine between mount'oot of them against Amalek. The Seir. and Egypt, the answer is drawn
poetess begins here to enumerate and from ch. 12. 15, where it is said that
review the tribes which had joined' Abdon was buried in the land of
the standard of Barak. In the account Ephraim, in the mount of the Amaleof this matter, ch. 4. 10, mention is kites.' From this it is to be inferred
made only of the tribes of Zebulun  that a colony of this people, who were
and Naphtali, but from the tenor of related to the Kenites, had formerly
the song it is obvious that several migrated into the interior of thecounother tribes, on hearing of the exi- try, and maintained itself among the
gency of their brethren, immediately Israelites of the tribe of Ephraim. In
raised a levy and volunteered to go this way it could be said, that the
to their assistance.  For this ready Ephraimites, whose root, i. e. founand generous proffer of their servi- dation, dwelling place, was among
ces, Deborah pays to them the first the Amalekites, on the mountain of
tribute of her thanks. The opening that name, came forth to the war.
sentence of her commendation quot- — After thee, Benjamin, among
ed above is replete with difficulty. thy people.  Rather,' After thee, (O
Without adverting to the various Ephraim, came) Benjamin, among
renderings which have been proposed thy peoples,' i. e. thy forces, thy hosts.
both by Jewish and Christian inter- By a sudden change of persons, compreters, we shall give that which mon to the poetic style, Ephrairn is
seems on the whole most probable. here addressed as present, and BenThe clause is undoubtedly elliptical, jamin, whose quota of men was proand may be thus supplied;-' Out of bably small, is spoken of as being inEphraim (came those) whose dwell- corporated with it, instead of forming is in Amalek.' The original for ing a distinct corps by itself.-'root' we take to be a poetic expres- I Out of Machir came down governsion for a fixed, firmly established ors. Machir was the son of Manasseat or dwelling, just as nations tak- seh, and the father of Gilead, Gen.
ing up their abode in a land are 50. 23; Num. 27. 1, and is here put
said to be planted in it, to take root for the tribe of Manasseh, that is, the
in it, as Is. 27. 6,' He shall cause half of that tribe which dwelt on the
them that come of Jacob to take root.' west of Jordan.  The original for
Comp. Ps. 80. 8, 9; Job 5. 3.  If it'governors,' (~t~7'7  me'hokekim,)
be asked how Ephraim could he said is in effect the same with ~j1rl'hoto have dwelt or taken root in Ama- kekim, lawgivers,. v. 9, and is to be




B. C 1296.]               CHAPTER V.                                67
15 And the princes of Issachar sent on foot into the valley.
were with Deborah; even Issa- For the divisions of Reuben
char, and also c Barak: he was                   c oh. 4. 14.
understood of military leaders, expert   15. The p'rinces of Issachar were
and valiant chieftains, who promptly withDeborah. Or, Heb. WlZ'1=" e'1m1s
took the field at the head of their  VlZ i     vesatri be-Yissakar im Detroops,- I TOut of Zebulun they that borah, my princes in Issachar were
handle the pen of the writer. There is with Deborah.  She calls them' my
something peculiarly incongruous in  princes,' from the grateful esteem
the idea of penmen coming down to  with which their services had ina battle, nor is the rendering in fact spired her.- IT Even Issachar, and
warranted by the original.   The also Barak. Rather, Heb. tDM1'11
Lieb. term for' handle,' (Zt~2 Z me- l'P 1Z ye- Yissbkar ken B&rzk, and
shokirm,) is the same with that occur- Issacha~r in like manner as Barak;
ring ch. 4. 6, respecting the tribes of i. e. Issachar was equally prompt,
Zebulun and Naphtali, and which  ardent, and valiant in the good
we there endeavored to show, signi- cause; he marched forth with equal
flied to draw in the sense of enlisting. alacrity.-~T Was sent on foot into
We take it in the same sense here; the valley. Heb. 1'1' >= rU  slhulimplying those, who, as the emissa- la'h beragltbv, was sent with his feet.
ries of Barak, succeeded in drawing  See Note on ch. 4. 10, 14. The meanafter them recruits. As to the instru- ing we suppose to be that, when Bament employed  on this occasion, rak was ordered to charge down the
though our translators have rendered  declivity of Tabor towards the valthe Heb. 72~ sh*ibet by'pen,' yet the ley, the men of Issachar followed
word has no where else that signifi- with as much promptitude, as if all
cation throughout the Scriptures. Its their feet had pertained to their leadgenuine  meaning is a rod, staff, or er's body. It may be remarked that
wand, and instead of the'pen of the the original word, rendered'valley,'
writer,' the correct version undoubt- signifies also a low level plain, and
edly is,'with the rod of the number- thus the known topography of the
er.' A definite number of men (10,- place requires that it should be ren000) were by Deborah's orders, ch. 4. dered here. They descended from
6, to be levied from these two tribes, mount Tabor into the plain of Esdraand the doing of this is described by elon.-At this point a transition is
a metaphor, taken from the custom  made to a new theme in the inspired
of shepherds in numbering, separat- song; viz. a rebuke of the recreant
ing, or selecting  their sheep, by tribes, who refused  to join  their
means of a rod besmeared with brethren and flock to the standard of
paint, with which they marked every  Barak; and here v. 16 should profifth, tenth, or twentieth, as the case perly  begin. —~r For  the divimight be, as they came out of the sions  of Reuben.   Heb.  nAl] i
outlet of their enclosure.  See the liph/lacggoth, in or among the divitprocess more particularly described  sions.  It is impossible  to speak
in: the note on Lev. 27. 32.        with confidence of the exact import




68                             JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1296.
there  were  great thoughts  of the  sheep-folds,  to  hear  the
heart.                               bleatings  of the flocks?  For
16 Why abodest thou " among,          ~um. 32. 1.
of the word here rendered' divisions.' no objections to urge against it, nor
It is perhaps designedly left ambigu- do we hesitate to believe that a simious, as is not unusual with Scripture  lar mode of solving Scripture diffiphrases, in order that it may be taken  culties is in many instances the true
in greater latitude and fulness of one.-~ Great thoughts of heart.
meaning, and include the various The original for' thoughts,' signifies
senses of which it is susceptible. By resolvings, decisions, decrees, and the
some it is understood of the local purport of the clause perhaps is, that
divisiolt of Reuben from the rest of the Reubenites at first heroically r'ethe tribes by the Jordan and other solved to join their countrymen, but
rivers; by others, of the classes or afterwards recanted their purpose,'ranks into which the tribe was divid- and meanly stayed at home. This coned; and by others still, of the divided  duct the prophetess first describes in a
counsels, the coviftictisng opinions, of tone of apparent praise, which by a
the Reubenites respecting the pro- poetical artifice is converted into an
priety of taking up arms on the occa- ironical and cutting sarcasm.  She
sion.  The root from which the ori- intimates that their original resoluginal is derived, signifies to divide, tion and purpose was magnanimous;
to cleave, and the present ternm occurs inquires why it was not fulfilled;
Job 20. 17, in the sense of water-, why they preferred to remain at home
courses, or streams flowing in chan- and listen to the piping of the herdsIels.  The most probable interpre- men.    She then repeats in effect
tation, therefore, if we mistake not, her first sentence of approbation; but
is that of Schnurrer and others, who  in the ensuing verse, by the change
by the'divisions of Reuben,' under- of a single letter, ('irt' for pp~ restand the'streams of Reuben;' i. e. volving-s for resolvings) she prothe well-watered country of Reuben, noances their noble resollution to have
a  region  fertilized  by  numerous been mere emtgy deliberation, amountcreeks and small rivers.  It will be ing to nothing.
recollected that Reuben dwelt on the    16. Wily abodest thou among the
east of Jordan and the Dead Sea, sheep-folds?  Bishop Horsleyrenders
from  the river Arnon northwards, the original by' hillocks,' instead of
and possessed part of the plain of'sheep-folds,' and we are satisfied
the Jordan which, Gen. 12. 10, was that he, of all other interpreters, has' every where well watered;' a region  come nearest to the genuine scope of
expressly celebrated, Num  32. 1, for the speaker. He remarks, that the
its rich pasturage, which necessarily  noun  mt~l~ mnishphetayim, is from
implies the presence of springs and  the root rt2 shaphah, to stick sup, to
streams. After all, if any one is in- be prominzent, and it is in the dual
clined to construe the phrase in a form.  Hence the substantive may
pregnant sense, as comprising all the signify any gibbosity or prominence.
above senses of'divisions,' we have  It is used in Jacob's last words, to




B. C. 1296.]              CHAPTER   V.                              69
the divisions of Reuben  there dan: and why did Dan remain
were great searchings of heart. in ships?  I Asher continued on
17 e Gilead abode beyond Jor- the sea-shore, and abode in his
breaches.
e See Josh. 13. 25, 31.               f Josh. 19. 29, 31.
signify the two panniers of a laden tabernacle, necessarily here implies
ass lying down, and those panniers to dwell at ease, quietly, as Ps. 55. 6,
are the ridges of hills which were the' O that I had wings like a dove! for
boundaries of his territories. In like then would I fly away, and be at rest,
manner, we think, it is to be taken  (Heb. A'J.X es/hko6n, dwell quietly.)
here to signify' hills in double par- - IT Why did Dan remain in seips?
allel ridges.' Reuben is asked why' Why was Dan so much intent upon
he abode between f'lrbn   smisbphe- his ships and merchandize.   This
tayins, to hear the bleatings of the  was one of the maritime tribes.  Its
flocks. And where shall any one limits included the haven of Joppa
abide to hear the bleatings of the (Jaffa,) and also the coast farther
flocks, but among hills, where flocks south. But Zebulun was also'a harange?  See also Note on Gen. 49. ven for ships,' a seafaring tribe, and
14. It is still possible that there may yet was forward and active in this
have been such a similarity in form  expedition.-~TAsher' continued on
between the stalls, or ranges of the t/,e sea-shore.  The same reproach is
Syrian folds or pinfolds for flocks, here brought against Asher, that he
and parallel ranges of hills, as to remained on his coasts. His lot esrender the same term  applicable to tended  along the Mediterranean,
both, so that the present translation  contiguous to Zebulun and Naphtadoes not err widely from  the truth. li, so that if disposed he might easily
But the construction of Horsley, giv- have succored his brethren. But he
en above, we think decidedly prefer- also had an excuse for staying at
able to any other.-   I To hear the home.   The  original;nI'huphb,
bleatings of the flocks.  Heb. rhallyD1   shore, comes from  ~'lpyhapht, to
T9'7     sheriikoth adarim, the wulist- wear away, and is applied to a coast,
lings or ipipings of t/he flock; i. e. of inasmuch as this is continually wearthe shepherds who play on the pipe ing away by the action of the water.
while  guarding  their flocks.- — rAbode in his breaches.  Heb.
~Great searchings of heart. That is,.8t ht miplhratzim, rents, ruptures,
great deliberations or consultations, fissures, from  7"'3 pkratz, to rend,
but no result. They were forward  implying probably the bays, inlets,
in counsel and debate, but not in ac- and havens, lying along a rugged
tion: a severe and sarcastic irony.   and broken coast. The celebrated
17. Gilead abode beyond Jordan. harbor of Acco or Ptolemais (Acre)
That is, the Gadites, who possessed lay in the territory of Asher.  Achpart of Gilead, Josh. 13. 24, 25. zib also and Tyre are mentioned as
Perhaps a part of the half tribe of falling within the limits of this tribe,
Manasseh is included under the term. Josh. 19. 29. The Chal. paraphrase
The verb  lW  shtkan, to abide,' to gives a different turn to this clause;




70                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1296
18  g Zebulun   and  Naphtali then fought the kings of Canaan
were a people  that jeoparded in Taanach by the  waters of
their lives unto the death in the Megiddo;' they took no gain
high places of the field.          of money.
19 The kings came and fought,    c.at 4. 10. b co. 4. 16. Ps. 44. 12. See
_D                     er. 30.
-' The house of Asher, on the mar- style of poetry,' kings' here may be
gin of the sea, dwelt in the broken simply equivalent to warlike leaders
down cities of the Gentiles, which and champions, the heroes and potent
they rebuilt and inhabited.'  The personages at the head of the Canaan.
above rendering, however, is to be itish forces.-  ~tn Taanach, by the
preferred.                         waters of Megiddo.  These two pla18. Jeoparded their lives unto the ces, which are usually mentioned
death.  Heb.  Irl'hiUrph; despised, together, lay within the limits of the
r'eproached, or contemned; i. e. they plain of Esdraelon, and in the immerushed fearless upon danger and diate vicinity of the river Kishon.
death. These tribes, from being the Indeed, it is scarcely to be questioned
more immediate sufferers from Ja- that by the'waters of Megiddo,' is
bin's oppression, were, doubtless, the to be understood the stream Kishon,
most eager to throw off the yoke of in that part of its course. —— T They
bondage, and would naturally rise in took no gain of money.  They obgreater numbers and exhibit a more tained no spoil or booty; they were
determined valor.-. l In the high utterly disappointed in their expecplaces of the field. Heb. *im)'t'1r1: tations.  The original, if rendered
merome saideh, the heights of thefield. literally, is very emphatic;' not a
Either spoken, in reference to mount piece, coin, or particle of silver did
Tabor, on which the army of Israel they take.' Schmid, however, among
at first encamped, or poetically taken the most acute and judicious of comfor the most dangerous places of the mentators, understands the words of
field,                             the ardor and overweening confi19. Thte kings came and fought. denee with which the Canaanites
The poetess now proceeds to describe fought. They entered the field so
the battle. In the preceding chapter sanguine of success, they resolved not
mention is made of a single king to take the least ransom for the Israelonly, Jabin, as coming against Is- ites, either for life or liberty. Thinkrael, but, from the use of the plural ing it possible that Barak might, on
here, and from the probabilities of seeing the formidable power arrayed
the case, it is to be inferred that against him, repent of his undertakother allied kings took the field with ing and wish to purchase peace by
Sisera. We are expressly informed, money; these words, according to
Josh. 11. 10, that Hazor, where Jabin the critic above mentioned, express
reigned, was'before-time the head' their determination not to listen for
of numerous petty principalities, and a moment to any terms of treaty, but
these, it may be supposed, were con- to cut them all off without mercy,
federate with him on this occasion. This construction does no violence to
Yet it is possible that, in the lofty the original, and is liable to no seri



B. C. 1296.]             CHAPTER  V.                                71
20 i They fought from heaven;   21'The river of Kishon swept'the stars in their courses fought theml away, that ancient river,
against Sisera.,            See Josh. 10, 11t. Ps. 77. 17, 18. k ch.
4.16. 1 ch. 4.7.
ous objection. Gr.' they took no rise in the valley of Jezreel, near the
gift of silver.'  Chal.'they willed foot of mount Tabor, and after runnot riches of silver;' i. e. they de- ning westward, with a great variety
termnined to reject or refuse the most of turnings and windings, through
tempting bribes.  Thus Is. 13. 17, the plain of Esdraelon, falls into the'Behold, I -will stir up the Medes Mediterranean at the south-east coragainst them, which shall not regard ner of the bay of Acre.'In travelsilver; and as for gold, they shallnot ling,' says Shaw,'under the southdelight inb it;' i. e. they shall not be east brow of Carmel, I had an opprevailed upon to spare, by the pros- portunity of seeing the soafces of
pect of fee or reward.              the river Kishon, three or four of
20. ThLey foug'ht from heaven. As which lie within less than a furlong
the expression is indefinite, it may of each other, and are called "Ras
be considered as equivalent to say- el Kishon," or, the head of the Kishon.
ing, that a supernatural power was These alone, without the lesser conengaged against them; they had to tributions nearer the sea, discharge
contend not only with foes on earth, water enough to form  a river half
but with foes in heaven.  Ornnipo- as big as the Isis. During likewise
tense armed the elements against the rainy season, all the water which
them.  A parallel idea is expressed falls on the eastern side of the mounin the words that follow.- IT The tain, or upon the rising'ground to
stars in their courses fought against the southward, empties itself into it
Sisera. Or, Heb. =n~rZt1'e~Z1r   in a number of torrents, at which
hakkokabinbm mimmesolathbm, the stars conjunctures it overfiows its banks,
fron their orbits fought, &e., lit.'from  acquir'es a wonderful rapidityj, and
their elevations, their exaltations, carries all before it.'  When Mauntheir highways.'  Chal.'from the drell crossed this stream on his way
place where the stars go forth, war to Jerusalem, its waters were low
was waged against Sisera.' Proba- and inconsiderable; but in passing
bly nothing more than a highly rhe- along the side of the plain, he obtorical or poetical expression for the served the tracts of many tributary
adverse influence of the atmospheric rivulets falling down into it from
elements, the rains, winds, thunders, the mountains, by which it must be
and lightnings, which, from ch. 4. 15, greatly swelled in the rainy season.
appear to have been supernaturally  At the time of the battle here deexcited on this occasion.  See the scribed, it was undoubtedly in this
extract from Josephus, Note on ch. condition-swollen  to a deep and
1. 15. The stars are here the host of impetuous torrent, sweeping away
7eaven, and this is but another phrase every thing within  its reach. —
lor heaven itself; the heavens fought IT That ancient river.  The reason
against Sisera.                     of this epithet is not obvious.  The
21. Kishon. This river takes its Gr. renders it,'the stream of the




72                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1296.
the river Kishon.  0  my soul, broken  by  the  means of the
thou hast trodden down strength. prancings, the prancings of their
22 Then were the horse-hoofs mighty ones.
ancients, or of antiquities.'  The  wet with the dews of Tabor and
Chal.' the river in which happened  Hermon.' It may also be remarked,
signs and great deeds to Israel from  that if the predicted' battle of Armaancient times.' The root tIei kUdem, geddon,' Rev. 16. 16, denote a literal
properly implies the idea of prece- conflict, destined hereafter to take
dency, or priority, whether in point place, there is every probability that
of time or place, and hence its de- this is to be its scene; for here lies
rivatives obtain the sense of either Megiddo, to which allusion is had in' antiquity,' or' the east,' which is the name' Armageddon,' and we are,
always spoken of as lying before all in fact, strongly inclined to believe
other countries.' The river of an- that name is formed by contraction
tiquities,' is undoubtedly the most and a slight change of letters, parexact rendering, and the import may  ticularly of r- for 1, which is common
be that it was a river about whtich the in the East, from  the HIeb. e'   OR
divine counsels were exercised of old; T1V   al-mne-lMegiddo, waters of Meit was a stream  of acncient designa- giddo, v. 19, which we have there
tion, one which God designed  to shown to be but another appellation
make illustrious by this, and, per- of this very river. We see, therehaps, other similar events; for the fore, with how much propriety the
plain of Esdraelon, through which it Kishon is called the'ancient,' i. e.
runs, is the most famous battle-ground  the ordained, the destined, the desigof the whole territory of Palestine. nated river; the river intended, in
It was the scene of the conflict'of the purposes of heaven, to be signalGideon and the Midianites, of Saul ized by a series of remarkable events.
and the Philistines, of the Israelites ---  TZou Itast trodden down strengtA.
and the Syrians, 1 Kings 20. 26, and  That is, thou hast vanquished the
of Josiah and the Egyptians. It has strong and mighty; a strain of exulin fact been a chosen place for en- tation spoken, perhaps, in the person
campment, in every contest carried  of all Israel, in view of the glorious
on in the Holy Land, from the days victory achieved.
of Nebuchadnezzar to the time of   22. The horse-hoofs broken.  Anthe Crusaders, and thence down to ciently horses were not shod; nor
that of the modern Napoleon, who  are they at the present day in some
here sustained the attack of the whole parts of the East. The flight was so
Syrian army.'Jews, Gentiles, Sara- rapid, that the hoofs of their horses
cens, Egyptians, Persians, Druses, were splintered, battered, and brokrurks, Arabs, Christian Crusaders, en by the roughness of the roads.
and anti-christian French men-war- — ~By the means of their pr'ancings.
riors out of every nation under heav- Or, Heb. nhl'Prl da'haroth, of their
en, have pitched their tents in the scampeerinags.  From ch. 4. 16, it applain of Esdraelon, and have beheld pears that the Canaanites fled with
the various banners of their nations I the utmost precipitation.-9r Of




B. C. 1296.]             CHAPTER  V.                             73
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the   24 Blessed above women shall
angel of the LORD, curse ye bit- I oJael the wife of Heber the Keterly  the  inhabitants  thereof, nite be, P blessed shall she be
nbecause they came not to the above women in the tent.
help n of the LORD, to the help   m h. 21, 9, 10. Neh. 3. 5. n 1 Sam. 17.
of the LORD against the mighty. 47, ad 18. 17, and 25. 28. och. 4. 17. p Luke
their mighty ones. Of their best and awful execrations. - Came not to
strongest horses.   The  original the help of the Lord. To the help of
(t~'VZ~ abbirinm,) is thus applied Jer. the Lord's people; for he takes what
S. 16,' The snorting of his horses is done to his people, as done to himwas heard from Dan; the whole land self; and what is withheld from them
trembled at the sound of the neighing as withheld from himself. The Lord
of his strong ones.' Ch. 47. 3,'At needed not their help; as the event
the noise of the stamping of his showed that he could accomplish
strong horses.'                   the work without them; nor does
23. Curse ye Meroz. The prophet- omnipotence ever really need the seress here turns abruptly to curse the vices of any of his creatures.  But
inhabitants of Meroz; a place pro- he is pleased to allow them the privibably of some note at that time, but lege of being employed as co-workof which no trace whatever now re- ers together with him, and when a
mains. The effect of the curse, like crisis arrives in which it is in effect
that pronounced upon Amalek, Ex. proclaimed,'Who is on the Lord's
17. 14, seems to have'blotted out the side.' it is at our peril that we preremembrance' of its history and its sume to stand upon neutral ground,
site.  We may suppose it to have and refuse to come up to the help of
been a city lying near the scene of the Lord.
action, and that the inhabitants, hav-   24. Blessed above women, &c. That
il'g an opportunity to cut off the Ca- is, she shall be praised and celebrated
naanites in their flight, neglected to above women. She shall be deemed
improve it, or in some other way worthy of the most exalted eulogy
withheld their services on the occa- for her heroic conduct; all the Israelsion.-.~Said the angel of the Lord. itish women shall glory in her. This
The Angel-Jehovah, before spoken is in marked contrast with the foreof, ch. 2. 1. The scope of the words going curse of Meroz.  The spirit
is to intimate that the malediction of prophecy delights to turn from
proceeded not from her own private the language of displeasure and refeelings of ill will or resentment, but buke to that of commendation and
was prompted by a divine impulse. praise. —~IBlessed-above women in
It was Jehovah that commanded the the tent. Or, as Geddes translates it,
curse.  She would not otherwise'tent-inhabiting women.' She shall
have interrupted  her  strains of bear the palm above all women of
thanksgiving, by the utterance of so the same class or character with herfearful a judgment.-~~ Curse ye self, i. e. the women of those tribes
bitterly.  Heb.'1TN  LMi ornu arOr, that dwell only in tents. The words
curse with cursing.  Use the most are evidently applied to the  rife of a
7




74                           JUDGES.                     fB. C. 1296.
25 qHe asked water, and she  nail, and her right hand to the
gave  him  milk;  she  brought workmen's hammer; and with
forth butter in a lordly dish.      the hammer she smote  Sisera,
26 r She put her hand to the              q oh. 4. 19. r oh. 4. 21.
wandering nomad, who had no fixed Pocock mistook for buttermilk, with
place of residence, and it is highly  which the Arabs treated him in the
probable that such were the habits of holy land.  A  similar conclusion
the Kenites, in contradistinction from  may be drawn concerning the butter
the more settled mode of life of the and milk which the wile of Heber
Israelites.                         presented to Sisera; they were forced
25. She brought forth butter. The cream or haymakh, and lebann, or cooriginal i1qZi1 hem/h, here rendered  agulated sour milk diluted with wa.'butter,' undoubtedly implies some- ter, which is a common and refreshthing liquid.  It would perhaps be ing beverage in those sultry regions.'
better translated  cream, or rather Paxton.-Iln a lor'dly dish. Heb.
curdled milk.' Sisera complained'in a bowl of the mighty, of the no.
of thirst, and asked a little water to bles.'  That is, such as nobles use;
quench it,' a purpose to which butter a rich, costly, oFr princely bowl; one
is but little adapted.  Mr. Harmer with which a person would entertain
indeed urges the same objection to the most honorable guests. Though
cream, which, he contends, few peo- it is scarcely supposable that articles
ple would think a very proper bev- of this costly description were cornerage for one that was extremely  mon in the tents of nomade tribes, yet
thirsty; and concludes that it must in'the present case the family of Hohave been buttermilk which Jael, ber may have possessed, from their
who had just been churning, gave to ancestors, a sumptuous. article of the
Sisera. But the opinion of Dr. Rus- kind, which Jael would naturally
sell is preferable, that the hemah of bring forth on the occasion of a visit
the Scriptures is probably the same from  so distinguished a personage.
as the haymak of the Arabs, which is See' Illustrations of the Scriptures,'
not, as Harmer supposed, simple p. 137.
cream, but cream  produced by sim-   26. She pit her hand.  Her left
mering fresh sheep's milk for some hand, as appears from the nature of
hours over a slow fire. It could not the case and from the mention of the
be butter newly churned, which Jael right in the  ensuing  clause.presented to Sisera, because the Arab  With the hammer she smote Sisera.
butter is apt to be foul, and is com- The words'with the hammer' ought
monly passed through a strainer be- properly to have been printed in Italfore it is used; and Russell declares, ics, as they do not occur in the orihe never saw butter offered to a stran- ginal, although it is true that the Heb.
ger, but always haymak: nor did he verb for'smite' does often, perhaps
ever observe the Orientals drink but- generally, convey the idea of smiting
termilk, but always leban, which is with a hammer, for which reason our
coagulated sour milk, diluted with  translators have rendered in the marwater. It was leban, therefore, which  gin,' she hammered Sisera.' Yet in




B. C. 1296.]               CHAPTER V.                                 75
she smote off his head, when  bowed, there he fell down dead.
she  had  pierced  and  stricken   28 The mother of Sisera lookthroug'h his temples.                ed out at a window, and cried
27 At her feet he bowed, he  through the lattice, Why is his
fell, he lay down: at her feet chariot so long in coming? why
he bowed, he fell: where he  tarry the wheels of his chariots?
v. 22 of this chapter it is applied to floor, he would naturally fall upon
the beating or strikiig of the horses' the  latter.  The  several kindred
hoofs against the ground.  At the words appear to be merely a poetic
line, however, when our translation  amplification -of the circumstances
was made, the force of manvy Heb. of his death.  See a similar phrase-words was not so clearly ascertained  ology, Ps. 20. 6,'They are brouglht
as at the present.-~T She smote off' dowln and fallen (nab:: r.1  ).'
his head. Rather, Heb. LON2i  frilj     28  Tile mother of Sisera looked.maihakhah ro,'sh,  sshe violently smote, out, &c. By an abrupt but beautiful
she crushed his head.  That his head transition, the mother of Sisera is
was actually severed from his body  now introduced as looking from her
there is no good reason to believe. lattice, confidentlyexpectingherson's
-X -r W/en she pierced, &e. Or, Heb. victorious return, ostentatiously reck2~ri721 umatzah,,    avnd shepierced,  onidrg upon the spoil.' In this,' says
&c. The leading idea of the original Prol: Robinson,'is shown the deep
word is to beat dowz1, to depress, as insight into human nature which the
appears from its use, Ps. 68. 24, and  sacred writer possessed, an insight
110. 6; Deut. 33. 11.  According to especially into the frivolity of the
the rendering of our translators it is Oriental female character. Her conentirely synonymous with the ensu- solation springs, not from  the hope
ing term, ~ sriclren througlr.' BuL this of his triunlphant return as a warwe believe to be unwarranted.  The  rior and conqueror, bat arises from
first undoubtedly implies the beatibng  the slaves, the many-colored  gardownv, the indenting of the side of Si- ments, the splendid ornaments and
sera's head which was exposed to the  attire which will fall to his share.
strolke, the other, the trans.fixing, tie In the mouth of the exulting Hepesfo'rating of his temples, by the brew poetess, this is a burst of keen
tent-pin.  The  words intimate  a  and scoffing irony against a foe who
gradation in the act, each expression  never dreamed  of a  defeat, and
rising in intensity upon the preced- awaited only the spoils of victory.'
ing.                                 -~   Cried thrl'oeg-h the lattice. The
27. At her'feet hebowed, &c. Heb. windows of eastern houses generally
jti  id_  t".%    l ]m   bin  r'agleyach  open into inerior private courts, with
kr -c etiphal, between her feet he bowed the exception sometimes of a latticed
or senhk downt, he fell.  He probably  window or balconly towards the street
made somne struggles after receiving  At such an one the mother of Sisera
the blow, and as we may suppose is here represented as standing and
him to have been lying on a bed, or looking out. -s     Wity is his chariot
divan, elevated somewhat above the  so lo-ng in cotming? Heb. =2=- Vs171




76                            JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1296
29 Her wise ladies answered  prey of divers colors of needleher, yea, she returned  answer work, of divers colors of needleto herself,                         work on both sides, meet for the
30'Have they not sped? have  necks of them that take the spoil.;
they not divided the prey? to   31 t So  let all thine enemies
every man a damsel or two; to  perish, 0  LORD: but let them
Sisera a prey of divers colors, a
6 Ex. 15. 9.                      t Ps. 83. 9, 10.
Rq 15    maddua boshlsh. riklbo tempted Achan to secrete the spoil
labo, why does his chariot shame (us) that cost him  his life. It was also
~n coming? i. e. why does it so linger probably from  the high va ue put
beyond expectation and almost be- upon this species of spoil, that Dayond endurance. The relation be- vid, 2 Sam. 1. 24, calls upon the
tween the ideas of delay and shame, daughters of Israel to join with him
in certain Hebrew terms, is very pe- in  lamenting the death of Saul,
culiar.  See Note on ch. 3. 25.' who clothed them  in scarlet, and
29. Her wise ladies.  The noble  with other delights; who put on orfemale attendants, the matrons of naments of gold upon their apparel.'
her court or suite.  The  epithet ~-For the necks of them that take'wise,' perhaps, has reference  to the spoil.  Heb.,W,   1'IZ letzavtheir sagacity or shrewdness in as- yern shleaal, for the necks of the prey.
signing reasons for Sisera's delay.   The ellipsis is perhaps well supplied
30. 1lave they not sped.  Heb. in our translation, though some criq2t~ I>ri halo yinatzeu, have they not tics, instead of taking'prey' figurafonund; i. e. have they not succeeded  tively for persons seizing the prey,
in obtaining the object of their de- understand it of captured animals,
sires' — ST To every man a damsel or which they suppose to have been
twio. Heb.'~'ltWIm. lerosh giber, usually led in triumph, decorated
to the head of a man; an idiom pecu- with ornaments and trappings upon
liar to the original, wherever the idea their necks. In this sense, however,
of enzmeration or distr'ibution is in- it might, as Prof. Robinson suggests,
volved.  One would have thought be better referred to the decorations
that ladies, who had any just con- of the female slaves.
ception of the honor of their sex,   31. So let all thine enemies perish.
would have found other subjects of The prophetess, instead of saying in
felicitation than this. But the hint express terms that the hopes of Siseserves as a faithful index of the de- ra's mother were doomed to sad disgradation of woman in all heathen  appointment, bursts forth  into  an
lands, especially in the East.-ST A  abrupt apostrophe, which  implies
prey of divers colors of needle-work. this in a very vivid  and forcible
Embroidery and rich dresses were manner; viz. an invocation of 12ke
reckoned the most valuable parts of destruction upon all the enemies of
the spoil of conquered foes. It was Jehovah.  The particle'so' refers,
probably the beauty and richness of not to what is expressed, but to what
the Babylonish garment, that first is thus izmplied, the frustrated hopes




B. C. 1296.]            CHAPTER  V.                              77
that love him be u as the sun might. And the land had rest
Xwhen he goeth forth in his forty years.
u 2 Sam. 23. 4. x Ps. 19. 5.
and bitter wailings of the mother and hatred, vie can by no means
and her attendants.  This highly admit of it between God and his
poetical mode of concluding the song, creatures. Indifference towards God
gives a gracefulness and effect to would be constructive enmity. Those
the whole which can scarcely be only who love him can be-numbered
surpassed. In remarking practically among his friends.  In behalf of
on the prayer of Deborah, it is to be these the prophetess prays that they
observed, that imprecations of evil, may be as'the sun when he goeth
when personal and vindictive, are forth in his might.'  Under this
contrary to the mind of God; but beautiful image she prays, (1) That
when uttered as denunciations of they may shine with ever-increasing
God's determined purposes against splendor. The sun in its early dawn
his enemies, they are not unsuited casts but a feeble light upon the
to the most holy character. In this world; but soon proceeds to irradiate
light are many of the Psalms of Da- the whole horizon, and to burst in
vid to be viewed; and even Paul full lustre upon those who were a
could say,'If any man love not the little while before immersed in darkLord Jesus Christ, let him be ana- ness. Thus the goings-forth of the.
thema-mnaranatha.'' Though our devoted friends and servants of the
enemies,' says Henry,' are to be Most High, diffuse at first but an inprayed for, God's enemies, as such, distinct and doubtful gleam; but
are to be prayed against; and when through the tender mercy of God they
we see some of God's enemies re- advance, and  their light shines
markably  humbled  and  brought brighter and brighter to the perfect
down, that is an encouragement to day.  (2) That they may diffuse
us to pray for the downfall of all the benefits wheresoever they go. The
rest.' Thus are Deborah's words to sun is the fountain of light and life
be interpreted. Being prompted by to the whole terraqueous sphere. If
the spirit of inspiration, they are to be we look at the places where his geregarded not only as an imprecation, nial beams for months together never
but also as a prediction; a predic- shine, the whole face of nature wears
tion which shall assuredly be accom- the appearance of desolation and
plished in its season upon all that death; and nothing but the return of
continue to withstand omnipotence. his kindly influences restores her to
--— Let them that love him be as the life. Thus in countries where the
sun, &c. These words require sim- friends of God are not found, the
ply a practical exposition. They in- whole population is in a state of
timate the true distinction between spiritual and moral death. But in
the enemies and the friends of God. their light, light is seen, and from
The latter are characterized as those them is spread abroad a vital influthat love him. If between men we ence which wakes up all around
could admit a medium between love them to new life and power. Let us
7*




78                         JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1296.
CHAPTER  VI.              them  into the hand bof Midian
ND the children of Israel a seven years.
did evil in the sight of the  2 And the hand  of Midian
LORD: and the LORD delivered prevailed  against Israel:  ana
a ch. 2. 19.                     b Hab. 3. 7.
seriously inquire to which of these the  one  arising  to  everlasting
classes we belong; for however con- shame and contempt, the other shin.
founded now, there will be an awful ing forth as the sun in the kingdom
difference between them ere long; of their father.
ANCIENT WAR-CHARIOTS.
CHAPTER  VI.             contrary to him.-  I Into the hand
1. Did evil irt the sight of the Lord. of Midian. Of the Midianites; the
After the expiration of the forty usual collect. sing. for the p ural.
years of rest above mentioned, ch. 5. A great portion of this race had
31. Their new  defection subjects been cut off by Moses about 200
them, as a matter of course, to new  years before, Num. 31. 1-18, but in
judgments. With the froward, God the mean time they had recovered
will show himself froward, and will themselves, those that escaped to
walk contrary to those that walk other regions having returned, and




B1. C. 1296.]           CHAPTER  VI.                              79
because of the Midianites the mountains, and caves, and strong
children of Israel made them  holds.'the  dens which  are in the   3 Arid so it was, when Israel
I 1 Sam. 13. 6. Heb. 11. 38.  had sown, that the Midianites
these with the remnant that remain- ged to betake themselves to the most
ed having rapidly increased and ac- retired holds and fastnesses which
quired power, till they became too their mountainous territory afforded.
strong for their sin-weakened neigh- Josephus thus describes this period
bors, the Israelites. Instigated proba- of their history;-' Now when Barak
bly by resentment, they joined the and Deborah were  dead, whose
Amalekitesin order to retaliate upon deaths happened about the same
their ancient conquerors.  They in- time; afterwards the Midianites
habited the eastern borders of the Red called the Amalekites and Arabians
Sea, having Arnon for their capital. to their assistance, and made war
2. The hand of Midian prevailed against the Israelites, and were too
against Israel. Heb. }5 1f'17  T' TrY  hard for those that fought against
5[q'V    taez pad Midyan al Yisq-tl, them; and when they had burnt the
t/he hand of Midian was strong upon fruits of the earth, they carried off
Israel; indicating not merely the the prey. Now when they had done
commencement, but the continuance this for three years, the multitude of
and the highest degree of oppression. the Israelites retired to the moun-.Made them the dens, &c. That tains, and forsook the plain country.
is, prepared, fitted up as residences They also made themselves hollows
the caves and dens of the mountains. under ground, and caverns, and preThey did not make them de novo, in served therein whatsoever had esthe sense of cutting out, excavating, caped their enemies; for the Midi.
or constructing them, for it is said anites made expeditions in harvestthey were already in the mountains, time, but permitted them to plough
but they so worked Cupon them as to the land in winter, so that when the
adapt them for dwelling-places and others had taken pains, they might
strongholds against the assaults of have fruits for them to carry away.'
their enemies.  Shaw  says that a J. Antiq. B. V. ch. 6. ~ 1. See Note
great way on each side of Joppa, on on Gen. 19. 30. They who abuse
the sea-coast, there is a range of God's gifts in prodigality and luxumountains and precipices; and that ry, often live, as a just punishment,
in these high situations are generally to feel the want of them  in hunger
found the dens, the holes, or caves, and nakedness.
which are so frequently mentioned   3. When Israel had sown, &c. The
in Scripture, and which were for- Midianites were principally wander.
merly the lonesome retreats of the dis- ing herdsmen, that is, just such a
tressed Israelites. Nothing can give people as the Bedouin Arabs of the
a more vivid impression of the suf- present day. Consequently the deferings to which the Israelites were tails of this oppression may be illusnow reduced.  Not daring to reside trated, from what travellers relate of
in the plain country they were obli- the modern customs of these roving




80                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1296.
came up, and d the Amalekites, them, and fdestroyed the ineand the children  of the east, crease  of the  earth, till thou
eventhey came up against them: come unto Gaza; and left no
4 And they encamped against sustenance  for Israel, neither
d ch. 3. 13. e Gen. 29. 1. ch. 7. 12, and sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
8. 10. 1 Kings 4. 30. Job 1. 3. -    fLev. 26. 16. Deut. 28. 30, 33, 51. Mic. 6.15
and plundering tribes. It may be whichis generally astation occupied
stated as a maxim, that whenever the but for a very short time.  The orinomade is the master of the cultiva- ginal term  is frequently applied to
tor, the impoverishment and ultimate the pitching of tents by the nomade
ruin of the latter are inevitable. The tribes in their wanderings, and is but
Bedouin Arabs come up from their another word for expressing their
deserts in the spring and perhaps re- unsettled, migratory  kind of life.
main through the summer, in the Living mostly in tents, they pitched
territories of those cultivators who them now here, and now there, reare so unfortunate as to lie at their maining for a longer or shorter time
mercy. If there is not an established  as the advantages of pasturage or
understanding between the tillers of plunder invited them; and the scope
the soil and the nomades, as to the of the present passage is doubtless
tribute which the former are to pay to say, that these numerous eastern
for exemption, the Bedouins encamp hordes had so far obtained the masand pasture their cattle in the culti- tery over Israel, that they fearlessly
vated grounds, after securing such pitched their tents and made a procorn and other vegetable productions tracted stay in the very heart of their
as they may see fit to appropriate for country, moving on to its utmost
their own use. Thus the'increase limits, and consuming all its proof the earth is destroyed,' and no ducts as they advanced. See the' sustenance left' to reward the labor next verse.-~ Till tthou come unto
and patience bestowed upon its pro- Gaza. Their ravages extended quite
duction.- - f The childrens of the across the whole breadth of the land
east.  Various mixed tribes of the from  the east, where they entered,
Arabians, Ishmaelites, Moabites, and  to the limits of the Philistines' posAmmonites inhabiting the regions sessions, who inhabited the coast of
which lay to the east and southeast the Mediterranean.  TIem they disof Palestine. They were the descend- turbed not, knowing them to be also
ants of Abraham  by Keturah. See hostile to the Israelites. A common
more respecting them, ch. 8. 10, 11. enmity is a virtual league of alliance.
Gen. 29. 1; Job 1. 3; Ezek. 25 4  -~rNeither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
-.I Came up against them. The  The Bedouins, in oppressing the culeffects of these marauding expedi- tivator, seize all the cattle that are
tions are expressly stated in the next brought abroad, and add them  to
verse.                              their own flocks and herds, so that
4. And they encamped. This is not the inhabitants frequently become
to be understood precisely in the deprived-of all their cattle, as was
sense of a military  encampment, now the case with the Israelites. In




B1. C. 1256.]             CHAPTER  VI.                              81
5 For they came up with their   6 And Israel was greatly imcattle and their tents, and they  poverished because of the Midicame g as grasshoppers for mul- anites; and the children  of Is.
titude; for both they and their rael'cried unto the LORD.
camels were without number:   7 ~ And it came to pass, when
and they entered into  the land  the children of Israel cried unto
to destroy it.
geh.7.12.                      h ch. 3.15. Hos. 5. 15.
western Asia the people who are sub-   5. Came up with their cattle and
ject to such annual incursions, gene- their tents. That is, with their wives,
rally make a compromise with the children, and domestics, the inhabitinvaders, agreeing to pay them a ants of their tents.  This is but an
heavy tribute, on condition that the expansion of the idea of the precedharvests shall not be touched, or the ing verse. The inroad of these eastcattle driven off.  Even powerful ern invaders was not a sudden and
communities, which might be able to successful assault followed by a hascope with the Bedouins, often enter ty retreat, but a p'rolonged occupation
into a compromise of this sort, to of the country of the Israelites, with
prevent the necessity of continual their innumerable tents, and flocks,
warfare and watchfulness.'With  and herds. For numbers and vorathese, the arrangement is a matter of city they are compared to' grasshopconvenience; but miserable is the pers,' or rather'locusts,' as the word
condition of those with whom it is a should be rendered, and nothing can
matter of necessity, and to whom it convey a more vivid image of the
is the only alternative, on which they countless multitude and the widecan secure a scanty subsistence from  spread ravages of these armies of
their fields. The tribute usually paid marauders.-It was undoubtedly at
in produce, is generally very heavy; this time that the famine took place
besides which the chiefs expect ex- which compelled the family of Elimetraordinary presents, and what is re- lech to migrate to the land of Moab,
ceived in one year as a present, is and gave rise to the interesting
certain to be exacted the next year events related in the book of Ruth.
as a right.  Thus the pressure accu- The oppression to which the Israelinulates, till it can no longer be ites were at this time subject was,
borne; cultivation is then relinquish- therefore, of a very different characed; and whole settlements are aban- ter from those which they had previdoned by their inhabitants, who dis- ously suffered; and from the minute
perse themselves into other villages and expressive  details which are
or towns, or form a settlement where given, we cannot but infer that they
they hope to be more at ease. These had never before experienced any
particulars, gathered principally from  thing so grievous.-IEnter'ed into
the' Pictorial Bible,' serve to show  the land to destr'oy it.  The efect of
the distressed situation of the Israel- their entering in was to destroy, to
ites under the depredations of these lay waste the land; whether the
ancient Bedouins.                   Heb. particle (5 to) imports the ac



82                          JUDGES.                   [B. C. 125)i.
the LORD because of the Midi- and brought you forth out of the
anites,                           house of bondage;
8 That the LORD sent a pro-  9 And I delivered you out of
phet unto the children of Israel, the hand of the Egyptians, and
which  said unto  them, Thus out of the hand of all that op.
saith the LORD God of Israel, I pressed you, and i drave them
brought you  up from  Egypt,                  i Ps. 44. 2, 3.
tual design is not so clear.  It often for the marks of divine forgiveness
indicates merely the event. See Note without being deeply humbled for
on Josh. 7. 7.                    our previous sin.' The sending of
8. The Lord sent a prophet. Heb. prophets to a people, and the furnishR'e.I VIR N1l'Z yishla'h ish nhCbi, ing a land with faithful ministers, is
sent a man, a prophet. The writer a token for good, and an evidence
would have it understood that it was that God has mercy in store for
a human messenger, and not an an- them.' Henry.  In what way pregel; for angels in Scripture are not cisely this prophet executed his mniscalled prophets, though prophets are sion, whether by addressing the peosometimes called angels. Mal. 3. 1. ple in a general assembly, or by deGod commissioned some individual livering it from city to city, and from
whose name is not known, to act the tribe to tribe, it is not possible to depart of a prophet, i. e. to be an organ cide; but his errand was to convince
of declaring the divine will on this them of sin, and to bring them to reoccasion to his people. Whether he pentance and humiliation before God,
had ever exercised this function be- in view of their past transgressions,
fore is uncertain. The supposition -- T BrougAht you qup from Egypt.
that'he had is at least unnecessary. You in the loins or persons of your
Men were often raised up and en- fathers.  See this phraseology exdowed with extraordinary gifts for plained, Josh. 4. 23.
particular emergencies, and God   9. Of all that oppressed you. It is
having now determined, in answer not perfectly clear to whom this is
to the prayers of his oppressed peo- intended to apply. It cannot well be
pie, to grant them deliverance, begins referred to the Canaanites, in Judea,
by sending them a prophet before he as they can scarcely be said to have
raises up for them a Saviour. It was' oppressed' the Israelites prior to the
fitting that their deep and unfeigned occupation of their lands by the latrepentance should precede the pur- ter, although they doubtless had every
posed relief, and a prophet would be disposition to do it.  Some of the
the most suitable instrument of ef- Jewish commentators with much proIfcting   this. The immediate object bability understand it of Sihon, Og,
of our prayers is not always that Arad, and others whom the Israelites
which God sees fit immediately to encountered on their way from Egypt
grant.  He may see that something to Canaan, to whom should perhaps
else entirely different is necessary as be added Balak, king of Moab, the
a preparative to the main blessing, Midianites, the Edomites, and what.
and as a general rule we cannot hope ever enemy  endeavored to molest




B. C. 1256.]             CHAPTER  VI.                              83
out from  before you, and gave   11 ~ And there came an angel
you their land;                    of the LORD, and sat under an
10 And I said unto you, I am  oak which twas in Ophrah, that
the LORD your God; kfear not pertained unto Joash'the Abithe  gods of the  Amorites, in  ezrite: and  his son  m Gideon
whose land ye dwell: but ye  threshed  wheat by the winehave not obeyedmy voice.
k 2 Kings 17. 35, 37, 38. Jer. 10. P  1 Josh. 17. 2. m Heb. 11. 32, Gedeon
them  on their march. These they  obeyed  my  voice; nevertheless I
overcame, expelled, and took posses- have heard your cry, and have pursion of their country, and so made posed deliverance.'  This is merely
good the declaration of the text.   putting the actual conduct of the
10. Fear not the gods of the Amor- Most High into words.
ites. Fear them not so as to serve    11. An angel of the Lord. Not a
and worship them; pay them no di- created angel, but the Son of God
vine honors. By the Amorites is himself, the eternal Word, the Lord
meant the Canaanitish nations in  of angels, anticipating the appeargeneral. See on Josh, 24. 14. 15.-  ance he was afterwards in the full[E But ye have?not obeyed my voice,  ness of time to make in human form.
In this and the two preceding verses This is evident from his being called,
there is no express promise of deliv- v. 14-16,'Jehovah,' and from his
erance, but merely a recital of the saying,'I will be with thee.' See on
Lord's goodness and the charge of ch. 2. 1.-~ Set under an oak w]icih
disobedience and rebellion brought was in Oplhrah. Or, Heb.'sat under
against the people. The reason per- a grove or cluster of oaks.' Ophrah
haps of an address so purely legal was a city of Manasseh, west of Jorwas to deepen their repentance, to dan, situated about sixteen miles
make them  feel more bitterly the north of Jericho, and not far from
evil and malignity of their conduct, the river Jordan.-~Joash the Abiand on the borders of despair to cry ezrite. Of the posterity, of the family
more earnestly for the divine succor. of Abiezer, who belonged to the
As we learn, however, from. the tribe of Manasseh, Josh. 17. 2. This
facts recorded that it was the purpose  Ophrah probably fell to the inheritof God to afford relief, we may pro-'ance of this family, and it may be
perly understand the rebuke as ima- also so called to distinguish it from
plying the promise of pardon and  another Ophrah, in the tribe of Bendeliverance, on condition of their re- jamin.  Josh. 18. 23. —' Gideon
turning to God.  As a general rule, threshed wheat by the wine-pr'ess. The
in  God's  dealings  with sinners, Hebrew properly denotes,'threshed
where present evils are spoken of as wheat with a stick in a wine-press;'
a penalty of past offences, it is to be a very expressive illustration of the
understood that forgiveness will fol- remarks made above respecting the
low reformation.  We may there- oppression of the Midianites. Gideon
fore without hazard supply the last was obliged to thresh his wheat in a
Clause thus;-' But ye have not small quantity, and in an unusual




84                          JU DGES.                   [B. C. 1256.
press, to hide iit from the Midi- unto him, the LORD  is )with
anites.                            thee, thou mighty man of valor.
12 And the nangel of the LoRD   13 And Gideon said unto him,
appeared  unto  him, and  said  0 my Lord, if the LoRD be with
xi ch. 13, 3. Luke 1. 11, 28.            o Josh. 1. 5.
plaze, to conceal it from the enemy.'the Word of the Lord is for thy
This shows how extreme was the help, thou mighty man of valor.' An
distress of the Israelites, seeing that ancient form  of salutation, express.
they could not retain any part of ing the assurance, or conveying an
their own produce except by stealth. invocation, of the presence, protec.
The smallness of the quantity is tion and blessing of God.  From
shown by the manner in which it Gideon's answer, v. 13, it would apwas threshed, which was not with pear that the former is the sense in
cattle, as was usual with large quan- this passage.  Thus Boaz saluted
tities, but by means of the flail, which his reapers, Ruth, 2. 4, and thus the
was seldom employed but in thresh- angel accosted the mother of Christ,
ing small quantities.  And then the Luke 1. 28. Josephus thus speaks
threshing was in or near the wine- of the incident;' At this time somepress, that is, in an unusual place, in what appeared to him  in the shape
ground appropriated to another pur- of a young man, and told him he was
pose. The flail also falling on grain a happy man and beloved of God.'
placed on the dead ground, not on a J. Ant. L. v. 6. 2. —      Thiou miglhty
boarded floor, as with us, made but man of valor. This appellation may
little noise, whereas the bellowing of at once have been founded upon some
the oxen might, in the other case, previous display of courage and perhave led to detection. It will be ob- sonal prowess put forth by Gideon,
served, however, contrary to the and may also have been predictive
opinion of some commentators, that of the character he should hereafter
this threshing-ground  was in the exhibit as a divinely commissioned
open air, else Gideon could not have and qualified deliverer of his counexpected dew to fall upon the ground trymen.  The instruments which
or on the fleece, which he spread out God chooses to effect his purposes lihe
there, v. 37-40.-~ To Aide it fronm  endows, strengthens, and animates
the Midianites. Heb.' to cause it to for the work to which he calls them.
flee from the Midianites;' i. e. that Though often to human view unlikeit might be hastily gathered up on ly instruments, yet they will ever be
the approach of the enemy and con- found best qualified for the employveyed to a place of safety. The ori- ment assigned them.
ginal word is the same with that em-   13. If the Lord be qwitlh us. Chal.
p]oyed Ex. 9. 20,'He that feared the'is the Shekinah of the Lord for our
word of the Lord —made his servants help V' The angel, it will be observand his cattle flee into the houses.' ed, addressed Gideon in the singular,
where it is evidently exegetical of'the Lord is with thee;' but he, in'gather' in the preceding verse.   his reply, continually makes use of'
12 The Lord is with thee.  Chal. the plural,-.' if the Lord be with usj




B. C. 1256.]              CHAPTER. VI.                              85
us, why then is all this befallen  now the Lord hath'forsaken us,
us? and P where be all his mira- and delivered us into the hands
cles qwhich our fathers told us of the Midianites.
of, saying, Did not the LORD   14 And the LORD looked upon
bring us up from  Egypt? but him, and said, Go in this thy
p So Ps. 89. 49. Isa. 59. 1, and 63. 15.  r 2 Chron. 15. 2. 6 1 Sam. 12. 11. Heb.
q Ps. 44. 1.                        11.32, 34.
-showing that he'identified himself unlikelihood of success, by his own
with his people, and that he scarcely inability; all gross inconsequences.
knew how to conceive of the divine Rather  should  he have  inferred
presence with hint, when there was God's presence in their correction;
no evidence of its being enjoyed by for wheresoever God chastises, there
them. An humble and self-disLrust- he is, yea, there he is in mercy. Noing spirit is always backward to re- thing more proves us his than his
cognize the special tokens of' the di- stripes: he will not bestow chastisevine favor, and, far from  wishing to ment where he loves not. Fond namonopolize them, is anxious that ture thinks God should not suffer the
such gracious manifestations should  wind to blow on his dear ones, but
be shared by others.-~T WIhy then none out of the place of torment
is all thiis befallen us?  Heb. if5 have suffered so much as his dearest
hrZ', 1MZ=  latmahh nmetzhaath.u children.  He says not, "We are
kol zoth, why hath all this found us? idolaters; therefore the Lord hath
A plain acknowledgment that the forsaken us, because we have forsakevils suffered were occasioned by the en him."  This sequel had been as
withdrawment of the divine presence. good as the other was faulty; "He
It is supposed, by the very terms, that hath delivered us unto the Midianthe continued enjoyment of the light ites, therefore he hath forsaken us."
of God's countenance would' have Sins, not afflictions, argue God abprecluded then. -.~ Where be all sent.' Bp. Hall.
his miracles, &c. VVhy does not the    14. And thte Lord looked upon him.
same power which delivered our fa- That is, sot merely directed his eyes
thers from the yoke of the Egyptians, towards him, but looked upon him
deliver us out of the hands of the efficaciously, with an indescribable
Midianites?'It is sometinles hard, power and influence, as it is said,
but never impossible, to reconcile  Luke'22. 61,'And the Lord turned
cross providences with the presence and looked upon Peter;' i. e. in such
ot God and his favor.'  eb'ryJ.-   a way as he only could look upon
~i Delivered us into the /hands of the him; with an efficacy absolutely diMidiacniltes.   Heb. t' knaph, properly  vine, the consequence of which was
the hollow of the zand; different from  he  went out and wept bitterly.
yi cad, the hand, usually employed  Here, however, the look was one of
in such connexions.-' The valiant encouragement and favor, one which
man was here wealk, weak in faith, banished his fears and inspired him
weak in discourse, whilst he argues with new life, spirits, and confidence.
God's absence by affliction, and his It will be noticed that the language
presence by deliverances, and the here employed,' The Lord (Jeho



86                           JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1256.
might, and thou shalt save Israel him, x Surely  I will be  with
from the hand of the Midianites: thee, and thou shalt smite the
thave not I sent thee?             Midianites as one man.
15 And he said unto him, O    17 And he said unto him, If
my  Lord, wherewith  shall  I now I have found grace in thy
save Israel? behold, " my family  sight, then Y show   me a sign
is poor in Manasseh, and I am  that thou talkest with me.
the least in my father's house.
x Ex. 3. 12. Josh. 1. 5. v Ex. 4. 1-8.
16 And  the LORD  said  unto  ver. 36, 37. 2 Kings 20. 8. Ps. 86. 17.
Isai. 7. ] 1.
tJosh. 1.9. ch. 4.6. u See 1 Sam. 9.21.
vah) looked upon him,' plainly dis- could do little towards withstanding
closes the real character of him who the enemy.- rLeast in mnyffather's
is above called an angel. —--  Go inL hotuse. Either the youngest, or in his
this thy strength. In the supernatu- apprehension the least competent fbr
ral strength and fortitude with which the work in question. He would
thou perceivest thyself to be endow- represent himself as lacking in that
ed, as the result of this interview. ability, rank, and influence which
God gives men a commission of ser- would induce hi;s countrymen to join
vice by giving them all the qualifi- his standard in an enterprise against
cations necessary for the execution  the Midianites.
of it, and when this is the case, hu-   16. Szite the Zl'idianites as one
man ceremonies merely'recogsnize man. As easily and effectually as
instead of creating the authority un-. if they were bui one man.
der which such persons act.'A    17. Show me a sign, that thou talkgood cause, a good calling, and a est with me. That it is thou, the true
good conscience, will make a good and real Jehovah, with whom  I am
courage.'  Tr'app.                  honored to speak; that there is no
15. Myf.amily is poor. Heb.'tu  mistake, no illusion, as to the per7;31't alpi haddal, which, though posi- sonage with whom  I am now holdtive in form, is superlative in Import, ing converse.  This request seems
and is to be rendered, mny thoutsand to have been prompted by a momenis the rneanest, or poorest. From Ex. tary misgiving whetherit were really
18. 25, we learn that the Israelites the divine Being himself with whom
were divided into tens, fifties, hunm- he now had the honor of an interdreds, and thoeusands; a division ex- view.'- The unusualness of those
pressly recognized, Mic. 5. 2.' Thou, revelations, in those corrupted times,
Beth-lehem  Ephratah, though thou  was such, that Gideon might think
be little among the thousands of Isra- of any thing rather than an angel:
el,' &c. These thousands embraced no marvel if so strange a promise
of course numerous families, and the from an unknown messenger found
assertion of{Gideon seems to be, that not a perfect assent. Fain would he
the thousand to which his family be- believe, but fain would have good
longed had become not only greatly  warrant for his faith. In matters of
diminished in number-s, but also im- faith we cannot go on too  sure
poverished in resources, so that they grounds: as Moses therefore, being




B. C. 1256.J              CHAPTER  VI.                              87
18 "Depart not hence, I pray   19  T a"And  Gicdon  went in,
thee, until I come unto thee, and made ready a kid, and unand bring forth my present, and  leavened cakes of an ephah of
set it before thee.  And he said, flour: the flesh he put in a basI will tarry until thou  come  ket, and he put the broth in a
again.
z Gen. 18. 3, 5. ch. 13. 15.           a Gen. 18. 6, 7, 8.
sent on the same errand, desired a cordingly he would be able to judge
sign, whereby Israel might know that concerning him; if he ate of it as
God sent him; so Gideon desires a common meat, he would suppose
sign from this bearer, to know that him to be a man, a prophet; if otherthe news is from God.' Bp. Hall.   wise, as it proved, he should know
18. Bringfort4h my present. Heb. him to be an angel.'
s'177 mirn'hltali, my mincha; a word   19. Made ready a kid, &c. The
usually employed to signify a meal- manner in which the Arabs still enoffering, i. e. an offering of bread, tertain strangers will cast light upon
wine, oil, flour, and such like, as is this passage.  Shaw, in his Preface,
observed on Gen. 4. 3, 4. This has observes;-' Besides a bowl of milk,
led some commentators to suppose and a basket of figs, raisins, or dates,
that Gideon, by such an oblation, re- which upon our arrival were presentcognized in his visitor a divine per- ed to us, to stay our appetites, the
son, whom he intended to honor by a master of the tent where we lodged,
real sacrifice, and in fact the Greek fetched us from his flock, according
version renders it,' I will bring forth to the number of our company, a
a sacrifice, and sacrifice before thee.' kid or a goat, a lamb or a sheep,
Others regard it merely as a hospita- half of which was immediately seethble meal provided for the entertain- ed by his wife, and served with cusment of a respectable stranger. But casoe; the rest was made,abab; i. e.
in this case it is not so easy to per- cut into pieces and roasted, which
ceive how Gideon could have antici- we reserved for our breakfast or dinpated the working of a sign or mira- ner next day.'- 9TPt the broth in a
cle in connexion with the offering, pot, &e. We are to infer. according
as it is evident he did. HIe would  to the editor of the Pictorial Bible,
seem, in fact, to have forgotten the either that Gideon boiled orstewed the
request which he had a moment be- kid and served up the meat and soup
fore made.  The remark of Henry separately; or else that he stewed one
on the word is at least very plausi- part of the kid, and roasted or boiled
ble:-' It is the same word that is the other. Both methods are conused for a meat-offering (meal-offer- sonant to oriental usages; and, pering), and perhaps that word which  haps, the latter is the best hypothesis,
signifies both, because Gideon in- as the animal thus divided may be
tended to leave it to this divine per- the more speedily dressed. In this
son, to determine which it should be, case, the roasted part was probably
when he had it before him, whether prepared in the most usual way of
a feast, or a meat-offering, and ac- preparing a hasty dish, that is, by




88                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1256
pot, and brought it out unto  up fire out of the rock, and con.
him under the oak, and present- sumed the flesh and the unleavq
ed it.                             ened cakes.  Then the angel of
20 And the angel of God said  the  LORD departed out of his
unto him, Take the flesh and  sight.
the unleavened cakes, and b lay   22 And  when  Gideon  eperlhemn upon this rock, and C pour ceived that he was an angel of
out the broth.  And he did so. the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O
21 IT Then the angel of the  Lord GOD! ffor because I have
LORD put forth the end of the seen an angel of the LoRD face
staff that was in his hand, and  to face.
touched the flesh and the und Lev. 9. 24. 1 Kings 18. 38. 2 Chron. 7.
leavened cakes; and d there rose  1. e h. 13. 1e. f Gel. 16. 13, and 32. 30
b ch. 13. 19. c See 1 Kings 18. 33, 34.  Ex. 33. 20. ch. 13. 22.
cutting the meat into small pieces, but the Son of God, who was to be
several of which are strung upon a served and honored by sacrifice; and
skewer, and so roasted or rather signifying also to Gideon that,hehad
broiled; as several of these skewers'found grace in his sight,' for God
of meat can be dressed together, a usually testified his acceptance of
meal may in this way be very soon sacrifices, by kindling them with fire
prepared.  This dish, he remarks, from  heaven. The acceptance of
is called kaboob, and is very cornm- the sacrifice was also a token of the
mon in western Asia.  When meat acceptance of his person; it went to
is thus dressed in two ways, the stew  confirm the commission now given
is generally intended for immediate him, and to afford him every needed
use, and the icaboob for a future assurance of success. —9TDeparted
meal, or for the traveller to carry out of kis sight.  Though he had
with him for his refreshment on the hitherto appeared in the form of a
way.  As Gideon brought he meat, traveller, with a staff in his hand,
as distinguished from the'broth.' in yet he did not walk off as a man,
a basket, it was probably intended by but vanished and disappeared as a
him that the stranger should take it spirit; perhaps in the flame of fire
away with him  for his future use. which he had kindled. Comp. ch.
This was a proper mark of careful 13. 20.
hospitality and attention.  The bas-  2.2. Perceived that he wlas an angel
ket was, probably, a small hand-bas- of the Lord. Rather,' Perceived that
ket made of palm-leaves or rushes. he was the angel of the Lord.' v. 11.
-— Broug'ht it out qunto him under Comp. Gen. 32. 30; Ex. 33. 20.the oak. See Note on Gen. 18. 6-8.  UAlas: 0 Lord God! &c. An ellipThe Arabs are accustomed, even to tical sentence strikingly expressive
the present day, to receive their of the agitation and terror into which
guests under a shade in the open air. Gideon was thrown, upon discover21. Ther'e rose up fire out of the ing the real character of the Angel.
rock, &c. Showing hereby that he It is, as if he had said,' Have mercy
was not a man who needed meat, upon me, O Lord God, or I shall




B. C. 1249.]             CHAPTER  VI.                               89
23 And  the  ILORD  said unto  day it his yet in Ophrah of the
him, g Peace be unto thee; fear Abi-ezrites
not: thou shalt not die.             25 XT And it came to pass the
24 Then Gideon built an altar same night, that the LORD said
there unto the LORD, and called  unto  him, Take  thy  father's
it Jehovah-shalom:  unto  this young bullock, even the second
g Dan. 10. 19                        h ch. 8. 32.
surely die, because I have seen the immediately following. The words
angel of Jehovah face to face!' As ltlU) MITfl  Yehovihh shalom, literalremarked upon Gen. 16. 13, it was ly signify, The Lord, peace, and he
anciently a prevalent sentiment, that probably so denominated the altar in
if any rtan saw God, or his repre- reference to the assurance of peace
sentative Angel, he must die.  On and blessing given him on that methis account, Gideon is alarmed and morable spot.
prays for his life.'Ever since man    25. And it came to jpass the same
has by sin exposed himself to God's night. Rather,' for it came to. pass
wrath and curse, an express from  the same night;' intimating the reaheaven has been a terror to him, as son that led him  to erect the altar.
he scarcely dares expect good tidings The incident is mentioned in the
thence; at least, in this world of preceding  verse  by  anticipation.
sense, it is a very awful thing to There is no ground to suppose that
have any sensible conversation with  Gideon erected the altar before he
that world of spirits, to which we had received the divine command
are so much strangers.' Henry.      for so doing, and that was not till
23. Thre Lord said unto him, Peace the night after the vision, as is evibe unto thee, &c.'Peace,' i. e. safety, dent from what follows. But it is
life, well-being; the exact reverse entirely  accordant with  Scripture
of what he feared. It is uncertain  usage to relate an event at first in
whether this was spoken in an audi- the gross, in a general and compenble voice, or by inward suggestion; dious way, and afterwards to deprobably the latter.' The angel that scribe it in detail, with an express
departed for the wonder, yet returns enumeration of all the circumstances.
for the comfort of Gideon. It is not — ~T Take thy father's young bullock,
usual with God to leave his children even the second bullock.  Or, Heb.
in amaze, but he brings them out in' and the second bullock,' implying
the same mercy which led them in, that two bullocks were now  to be
and will magnify his grace in the slain; but as mention is made of
one, no less than his power in the only one in v. 26, 28, our present
other.' Bp. Hall.                   rendering is probably correct. But
24. Gideon bzuilt an altar there-  why this animal is distinguished
and called it Jehovah-shalom.  That by the epithet' second,' is a question
is, upon the top of the rock, on which not easily answered. It may be conthe miracle had been wrought, v. 26. jectured, that the Midianites had
The purpose for which the altar was taken away all the cattle of the Iserected, is explained in the verses raelites that they could lay their
8*




90                           JUDGES.                  [B. C. 1249.
bullock of seven years old, and and take the second bullock,
throw  down the altar of Baal and offer a burint-sacrifice with
that thy father hath, and icut the wood of the grove which
down the grove that is by it:   thou shalt cut down.
26 And build an altar unto the   27 Then Gideon took ten men
LORD thy God upon the top of of his servants, and did as the
this rock, in the ordered place, LORD had said unto him: and
i Ex. 34. 13. Deut. 7. 5.
hands upon, so that Gideon's father Baal's grove must be used to burn a
had very few cattle left, perhaps on- sacrifice unto God. When it was
ly two, and of these the' second,' in once cut down, God's detestation and
point of age, Gideon is now directed their danger ceased; the good creato offer as the fittest for sacrifice. tures of God, that have been profaned
After all, the grounds of the epithet to idolatry, may, in a change of their
cannot be satisfactorily settled.-As use, be employed to the holy service
Gideon's father appears to have been of their Maker.' Bp. Hall.
addicted to idolatry, as well as many   26. Upon the top of this rock. Heb.
of his fellow-townsmen, it may be, t7M IlI.thiT  2V1~ AS  al rosh hamas many. of the elder commentators maoz hazzieh, upon the top of this
suppose, that this bullock had been strong-hold.  The native rock had
kept and fattened by him for a sacri- probably been in some way fortified
fice to Baal.-  ~ The altar of Baal and converted into a fortress, to se.
that thy father hath. Which belong- cure them from the Midianites.ed to his father, probably as being 1~ In the ordered place.  Or, Heb.
built on his ground, and the place of iZ'5a2 bammaarek-ld, in an orderly
his worship, though evidently de- manner. The original signifies arsigned for the common use of the rangement, disposition, order, and
whole city, v. 29, 30.-~ Cut down doubtless has reference to the prethe grove that is by it. Probably a scribed mode of erecting the altar,
grove dedicated to Ashtaroth, and Ex. 20. 24, 25, and also of laying on
perhaps containing her image, as the the wood and the pieces of flesh preoriginal word is;1'HR~ Asherah, on pared for sacrifice. The ceremony
which see Note on ch. 3. 7.'First was to be gone about with care and
must Baal's altar be ruined, ere God's reverence; it was not to be performed
be built: both may not stand togeth- in a cursory, hurried, or irregular
er: the true God will have no socie- manner, but with a due observance
ty with idols, neither will allow it of all the appointed formalities. Alus. I do not hear him say, " That though Gideon was not a priest, nor
altar and grove, which were abused was this the established place of sato Baal, consecrate now to me;" but crifice or worship, yet God may disas one whose holy jealousy will abide pense with his own institutions,
no worship till there be no idolatry, whenever it seems good in his eves.
he first commands down the monu- His call and commission car. make
ments of superstition, and then en- any person, and his choice any place,
joins his own service: the wood of sacred.




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VI.                            91
so it was, because he feared his  29 And they said one to anofather's household, and the men ther, Who hath done this thing?
of the city, that he could not do And when  they had  inquired
it by day, that he did it by night. and asked, they said, Gideon the
28 ~ And when the men of the son of Joash hath done this
city arose early in the morning, thing.
behold, the altar of Baal was  30 Then the men of the city
cast down, and the grove was said unto Joash, Bring out thy
cut down that was by it, and the son, that he may die: because
second bullock was offered upon he hath cast down the altar of
the altar that was built.
27. Feared his father's household. previously known to be somewhat
Lest they should have opposed him  disaffected to the prevalent idolatry,
from an apprehension, that the de- and upon putting this and all other
struction of the altar would incense circumstances together, they hesitate
the Midianites, and so bring aug- not to fix their suspicions upon him,
mented evil upon themselves, v. 30. which may have been confirmed by
It is not to be inferred that Gideon the disclosures of some of the party
feared the resentment of his kindred engaged with him. In some way or
or neighbors, or that he shrunk from  other, the evidence was conclusive
any danger connected with the un- against him, and nothing but his
dertaking; but as a matter of policy blood could satisfy the persecuting
and prudence, he saw fit to engage rage of his idolatrous fellow-townsin the enterprise by night, when he men.
would be least exposed to interrup-   30. Bring out tlhy son that he may
tion or opposition from the votaries die.  As a profane and sacrilegious
of Baal.  It appears obvious that wretch. To such a pitch of impiety
his father was of this number; ac- were these degenerate Israelites arcordingly he took ten of his own rived, that they do not scruple to call
servants, in whom he could confide, upon Joash to deliver up his own son
and who, we may suppose, had, like to death, fobr aiming to suppress practheir master, preserved their integ- tices, which, if the law had had its
rity, and not'bowed the knee to course, would have subjected themn to
Baal,' and by their aid faithfully ex- death.  The divine law expressly
ecuted the work enjoined upon him. prescribed that the worship of idols
29. Thtey said, Gideon the son of should be treated as a capital offence,
Joash lath done this thing. By what and yet these wicked men impiously
means they satisfied themselves of turn the penalty upon the worshipthis, we are not informed. The ori- pers of' the God of Israel!'Was it
ginal, by using two nearly synony- not enough to offer the choicest of
mous words, =,lt21 1'=Wn  yidr'osh.t their bullocks to Baal, but must the
vayebakkeshu, they inquired and inves- bravest youths of their city fall as a
tigated, implies that a very careful sacrifice to that dunghill deity, when
and diligent inquiry was made. It they pretended he was provoked!
is probable that Gideon had been How soon will idolators become per



92                          JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1249
Baal, and because he hath cut that will plead for him, let him
down the grove that was by it. be put to death whilst it is yet
31 And Joash said unto all that morning: if he be a god, let him
stood against him, Will ye plead plead for himself) because one
for Baal? will ye save him? he hath cast down his altar.
secutors.' Henry. Rosenmuller sug-  was unanswerable, and it prevailed.
gests, with much plausibility, that it It was, in fact, a fair challenge to
was in reference to this incident Baal to' do either good or evil,' ani
Gideon derived his name, with pos- the result convinced his worshippers
terity, from.vi: gada, to cut or hew  of their folly in praying to one to
down, q. d. a cutter-down, a demol- help them who could not defend himisher. Innumerable instances occur self.-The following is proposed as
in the Scriptures, in which persons an amended translation of this verse,
are called by acquired, and not by of which of course the Hebrew schotheir original names, the latter being lar alone is qualified to pronounce
in fact often entirely lost.      judgment;-' And Joash said unto
31. Joash said runto all that stood all that stood against (rather, by, up.
against him, &c. Joash had evidently on, i. e. round about him), will ye
before been a patron of Baal's altar, plead for Baal. will ye save him
but here he appears decidedly taking (Gideon ). seeing that if he were agod
part with his son who had demolish- whosoever should have dared to coned it. To what the sudden change tend with him  (Baal) would have
in his mind was owing, we are not died before morning; if he is a god
informed. The probability, we think, he will himself plead with him'(Gidis, that Gideon, perceiving in the con), because he hath cast down his
morning to what a pitch of exaspe- altar.'  The drift of Joash, as we
ration the citizens were wrought, and understand the passage, is to reprehow  seriously they threatened his sent to Baal's votaries how absurd it
life, took occasion frankly to inform  is for them to undertake to avenge
his father of the visit of the angel, the insult done to their idol, when if
and of all the circumstances of his he were a god, as they thought him
call and commission, and that this, to be, he would assuredly have taken
added to his feelings as a father, had the matter into his own hands and
served at once to convince him of punished the offender on the spot
his former error and to determine without suffering him to see the light
him to stand by his son against the of the morning. We have little doubt
rage of the populace. His argument that this is the true sense of the words.
is briefly this;-Do not act thus pre- The common version is not only concipitately against my son; for if tradictory in making Joash propose,
Baal be really a God, he will avenge that he who pleadeth for Baal should
his own cause, and if he be not a god, be immediately put to death, and then
then they who plead for him deserve asserting that Baal should plead for
instant death. A deity who cannot himself; but it erroneously renders
defend himself, is unworthy of the'm~p'no ad habboker, by whilst it is
defence of others. This reasoning yet morning, when its true significa



B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VI.                             93
32 Therefore on that day he children of the east were gathercalled him  kJerubbaal, sayllg, ed together, and went over, and
Let Baal plead against him, be- pitched in m the valley ofJezreel.
cause he hath thrown down his  34 But n the Spirit of the LORD
altar.                            came upon Gideon, and he o blew
33 IT Then all Ithe Midianites, a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was
and the Amalekites, and  the gathered after him.
k 1 Sam. 12. 11. 2 Sam. 11.21. See Jer.  m Josh. 17, 16. n ch. 3. 10. 1 Chron. 12.
11. 13. Hos. 9. 10. 1 ver. 3.     18. 2 Chron. 24. 20. o Num. 10. 3. ch. 3.27.
tion is until or against the mor'ning, intended to imply a standing defiance
i. e. he would have perished against to Baal, to do his worst upon Gideon
or previous to the morning; Baal and his adherents.  Instead of this
would have killed him outright. The name, we find in 2 Sam. 11. 21, the
proposed rendering is clearly con- equivalent title  lI~2~  Yerubboshetlh,
firmed by the tenor of the next verse. i. e. the shame, or the abomination,
The conduct of Joash, under these shall contend, applied to Gideon.
circumstances, leads us to remark, Baal is in several instances called,
(1) That if we have been zealous in in the prophets,' the shame,'' the
a bad cause, we should with greater shameful thing,' &c.  See Jer. 11.
zeal seek to amend what we have 13; Hos. 9, 10.-   1 Saying, let
done amiss, by our open advocacy of Baal, &c. Rather,'Meaning, Let
the truth. (2) Nothing must prevail Baal,' &c. Thus the original (:h[q)
upon us to give up the innocent, is often to be understood.  It is
whoever combine to destroy them. equivalent to the phrase'which being
(3) Though it may be highly dan- interpreted is,' &c.
gerous to reprove a wicked people,   33. ThLen all the Midianites and
we must do our duty, and trust God the Amalekites —went over. Heb.'all
with the event.                   Midian and Amalek.' They passed
32. He called lim. Rather accord- over the Jordan and crossed the
ing to the Heb. idiom' he was call- country as far as to the borders of
ed;' not that his father particularly  Manasseh and Issachar, and pitched
gave him that name, but it became in the'plain' (rather than'the' valan appellation by which he was gen- ley') of Esdraelon, anciently called
irally called.-Tr Jerubbaal. I Heb. Jezreel) of which see on ch. 5. 21.
7';f    Yer'ubbaal, doubtless contract-  34. 27lte spirit of the Lord came uped from 5.=' yeereb Baal, one with on Gideon.  Heb. i    Wl=5 tIP' 11rll
whom Baal pleads or contends; i. e. )    ~17 hlI rua'h Yehovah ldibesheh etA
impliedly, one with whom Baal may  Gidcn, tlhe spirit of the Lord clothed
plead if he pleases; with whom he Gideon. That is, filled him up fully,:s challenged to plead if he can or possessed him  entirely, raising him
dare. According to a very common above himself, in all the endowments
asage, it is a kind of play upon the necessary for his arduous undertak-,
original word for plead ("'I rib), ing. Chal.'a spirit of fortitude from
which occurs so often in the preced- before the Lord clothed Gideon.'
ng verse. The name was evidently  The phrase is remarkable, as inti



94                         JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1249
35 And he  sent messengers  36 I And Gideon said unto
throughout all Manasseh; who  God, If thou wilt save Israel by
also was gathered  after him: my hand, as thou hast said,
and he  sent messengers unto   37 P Behold, I will put a fleece
Asher, and unto Zebulun, and of wool in the floor: and if the
unto Naphtali; and they came dew be on the fleece only, and
up to meet them.                          p See Ex. 4. 3, 4, 6, 7.
mating his being endued with super- tribe of Ephraim lay to the south of
natural courage, zeal, and wisdom  Manasseh.  They were not invited,
in the prosecution of the work before and this gave rise to the crimination
him. Being thus clothed with the mentioned ch. 8. 1.
armor of God he 6 waxed valiant in   37. I will put a fleece of wool, &c.
fight,' and was enabled to'turn to It is exceedingly difficultto determine
flight the armies of the aliens.' The whether Gideon desired the working
same phrase in the original occurs I of this miracle for the confirmation
Chron. 12. 18; 2 Chron. 24. 20, though of his own wavering faith, or mainly
in both instances rendered in our ver- to strengthen the confidence of his
sion,' The spirit of the Lord came followers.  From the circumstances
upon,' which comes far short of the of his interview  with the Angel,
force and significancy of the He- from the success of his endeavors to
brew. A similar phraseology is met destroy idolatry in his father's house,
with in the N. T. Luke 24. 49,' Tar- from the readiness of several of the
ry ye in the city of Jerusalem, till ye tribes to enlist under his banners, and
be endued (Gr. clothed) with power more especially from its being said
from on high.'-~r And he blew a just before, that he was'clothed with
trucmpet. Caused trumpets to be blown the spirit of the Lord,' it would seem
to call in volunteers, as we before re- scarcely credible that he could have
nlarked of Ehud, ch. 3. 27.-~TAbie- desired any stronger assurance himzer was gathered after him.  Heb. self of the divine presence and bless1YSt yizzaek, was called or cried to- ing. Yet considering the weakness
gether, was convoked byproclamation, of human nature, it is more than
By Abiezer, is meant the house or possible that this might have been
family of Abiezer, the kindred of the case; that the view of the great
Gideon, as Israel often stands for Is- multitudes of the enemy may have
raelites.                         rather intimidated his spirit, and
35. Throughout all Manasseh. Pro- made him anxious for a still farther
bably on both sides the Jordan.-   manifestation of the divine favor,
r Unto Asher-Zebulun —and Naph- as the seal of his commission. Some
tali. These were near to the half have even supposed that God, who
tribe of Manasseh on the north. As intended to vohchsafe to him these
they naturally concluded that if their new tokens of his mission, put into
neighbors were overrun by the Mi- his heart to ask themn. However this
dianites, their own turn would come may be, the result went, (1) To ilnext, they were forward to unite lustrate  the divine condescension.
against a common enemy.   The God, instead of being offended with




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VI.
it be dry upon all the earth be- up early on the morrow, and
sides, then  shall 1 know  that thrust the fleece together, and
thou  wilt save- Israel by my  wringed  the  dew  out of the
hand, as thou hast said.          fleece, a bowl-full of water.
38 And it was so: for he rose   39 And Gideon said unto God,
his servant, kindly acceded to his prayers. Not that we are to expect
request. A fellow creature who had miraculous manifestations, for the
given such solemn promises, would age of miracles is past, but we may
have been quite indignant at finding confidently expect that even in relahis veracity seemingly called in tion to temporal matters, our prayers
question.   How offensive was the will not go forth in vain; while in
apparent tenor of the request;.-' If reference to spiritual matters, they
thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, shall descend almost in visible anand do as thou hast said, behold I will swers on our souls.  Were we to
put a fleece of wool on the floor; suppose the whole church, or neighand if the dew be on the fleece only, borhood where we dwell, to be in a
and it be dry upon all the earth be- state of the utmost barrenness and deside, then shall I know that thous wilt solation, as it respects the blessings
save Israel by mine hand, as thou of salvation, yet if we cry earnestly
hrast said.'  Nor did even this suf- to God, the dew of his grace shall
fice; he must go still farther, and descend upon us in the richest abunprove God a second time by revers- dance.  If, on the other hand, the
ing the request, before he can believe judgments of heaven are poured forth
that God will do as he has said. Yet around us, to us a merciful exempthe Most High, in his amazing cle- tion shall be given, according to the
mency, far from being offended, gives divine promise,'A  thousand shall
him the satisfaction he desires and fall at thy side, and ten thousand at
accommodates himself to the wishes thy right hand, but it shall not come
of his doubting servant!'Is this, nigh thee.' No man can conceive
O Lord, the manner of men!' (2) To to what an extent God will magnify
show the efficacy of prayer.  It was his grace and condescension towards
prayer that prevailed in this instance. an humble supplicant, calling upon
With great humility and much ten- him from the depths of his soul, till
derness of spirit, Gideon besought the he has himself made the happy exdivine interposition.  When he re- periment.'We may ask what we
peated his request for a second sign, will, and it shall be done unto us.'
the reverse of the former, he did it -..1 Dery u1pon all the earth beside.
with an humble apology, like Abra- Upon all the ground immediately
ham  in similar circumstances, de- adjacent to the place.
precating God's displeasure, because   38. A bowl full of water. For an
it looked so much like a capricious account of the abundant dews which
distrust, and his supplication pre- fall in the East, see Note on Gen. 27.
vailed. So we, under circumstances 28.'We remember,' says the editor
of pressing exigency, may look for a of the Pictorial Bible on this place,
gracious answer to our importunate'while travelling in Western Asia,




96                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1249
q Let not thine  anger be hot             CI-TAPTER  VII.
against me, and I will speak but r HEN  "Jerubbaal (who is
this once: let me prove, I pray.' Gideon) and all the people
thee, but this once with  the that were with him, rose up early
fleece; let it now be dry only and pitched beside the well of
upon the fleece, and upon all Harod: so that the host of the
the ground let there be dew.    Midianites were  on the north
40 And God did so that night: side of them by the hill of Mofor it was dry upon the fleece reh, in the valley.
only, and there was dew on all  2 And  the  Lord  said  unto
the ground.                        Gideon,  The  people that are
q Gen. 18. 32.                      a ch. 6. 32.
to have found all the baggage, which where else mentioned. Probably as
had been left in the open air, so wet, C'hin'harad signifies to shake, or tremwhen we came forth from the tent in ble through, fear, the fountain may
the morning, that it seemed to have have had its name from the terror
been exposed to heavy rain, and we and panic with which the Midianites
could with difficulty believe that no were seized at this place; or, what
rain had fallen. So also, when sleep- is still more likely, from the fear;ng in the open air, the sheep-skin which induced many of his adhecloak which served for a covering rents to turn back from that place, as
has been found, in the morning, related v. 3, where this very word
scarcely less wet than if it had been occurs''rl Xt~? ni yahrf ve'h.immersed in water.'                r'd, whosoever is feasful and afr'aid..39. Let me prove-with the fleece. Nothing is more common  in the
Let me make trial.- ~Letit be dry Scriptures than  for persons and
upon the fleece. This might be con- places to be named from memorable
sidered a more extraordinary event events. The fountain was situated
than the former, as it is natural for not far from  Gilboa, on the borders
wool to absorb whatever moisture of Manasseh.-  ~ Hill of Moreh.
there may be in the air about it; but Heb.' hill of the archer.' Probably
this was in direct contravention of an eminence in the Gilboa range of
the ordinary laws of nature.' So mountains, and conjectured to be so
willing is God to give to the heirs of called from  the arclhers that there
promise strong consolation, even by wounded Saul, 1 Sam. 31. 3, which
two immutable things. He suffers if correct will prove the book tohave
himself not only to be prevailed been written subsequent to that event.
with by their importunities, but to -~  In the valley. The valley of
be prescribed to by their doubts and Jezreel or Esdraelon, of which see
dissatisfactions.' Henry.          ch. 5. 21.
2. Tle Lpeople —aretoomany. Though
CHAPTER  VII.             the whole army of the Israelites con1. 7The well of Harod. Heb.'foun- sisted of only 32,000, while that of
tain of Harod,' i. e. of trepidation. the Midianites amounted to at least
If this were a town or village, t's no 135,000, or four to one to the Israel,




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VII.                            97
with thee are too many for me 3 Now therefore go to, proto give the Midianites into their claim in the ears of the people,
hands, lest Israel bvaunt them- saying,   Whosoever is fearful
selves against me, saying, Mine and afraid, let him  return and
own hand hath saved me.           depart early from mount Gilead
t Deut. 8. 17. Isai. 10. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 29.
2 Cor. 4.7.                                    c Deut. 20 8.
ites, yet the Lord deems this small no apology for their remissness; that
number entirely too large for the pur- if they had, as they ought to have
poses he had in view, and even when done, made sure of the favor of God,
diminished to 10,000, orders a still one of them might have chased a
farther reduction. The reason of this thousand. But chief of all, his purcommand is given in what follows. pose is to silence and exclude boastThe discharge of so large a number ing-' lest Israel vaunt themselves
of volunteers by no means implies against me.''How jealous is God
that they did not do right in willing- of his honor! He is willing to give
ly offering themselves to the expedi- deliverance to Israel, but the praise
tion; the act of enlisting in the ser- of the deliverance he will keep to
vice was proper and commendable, himself; and will shorten the means,
but God saw that the spifrit by which that he may have the measure of the
they were actuated was in multitudes glory.' Bp. Hall.
of them defective, and therefore so   3. Proclaim in the ears of the peoordered it that they should be put to ple, &c. This was according to a
the test, while at the same time he standing enactment of the law, Dent
secured to his own great name the 20. 8, the design of which was to
entire glory of the victory. We often prevent the contagious effects of
read in the sacred narrative of God's cowardice or' faint-heartedness,' in
bringing about great events by few  the army.  The punctilious obseragents, but this is the first instance vance of this precept by Judas Macin which he purposely made them  cabeus is mentioned 1 Mac. 3. 56, a
fewer. His design in addition to portion of ancient history, which unwhat has been  mentioned above fortunately is apt to be greatly overdoubtless was, (1) To show that as looked and undervalued in conseto any particular instruments, he quence of being contained in the
could, in effecting his purposes, easi-'Apocrypha.' These writings, though
ly dispense with them, and that they not canonical, are intrinsically of
were more indebted to him for em- very great value, and Christians geploying them, than he to them for nerally, if but made aware of their
tendering their services.  (2) To true character as to authority, would
shame and humble his people for prize their Bibles none the less for
their past cowardice in tamely sub- containing them. -I Depart early
mitting to the yoke of Midian. By from mount Gilead.  A clause of
the result of this enterprise he would very difficult solution from the fact,
afford them  convincing proof that that mount Gilead was on the eastthe disproportion of numbers formed ern side of the Jordan, whereas Gid9




98                          JUD3GES.                  [B. C. 1249
And there returned of the peo- Gideon, The people are yet too
pie twenty and two thousand; many; bring them  down unto
and there remained ten thousand. the water, and I will try them
4 And the LORD  said  unto for thee there; and it shall be
eon was now on the west, not far from  strength of the enemy!  Alas, if it
mount Gilboa, and did not cross the should be found that the true and
Jordan till after the victory. Some constant hearts enlisted under the
would solve the difficulty by suppos- banner of Christ bear no larger proing that there was a mountain called portion than this to the whole numGilead on the west of the Jordan as her, who will not do well to fear
well as on the east.  But as there is and tremble for his own fidelity.
no evidence of this, the hypothesis'Christianity requires men. David's
merely cuts the knot without untying royal band of worthies was the type
it.   Others again propose a new  of the forces of the church, all vareading for the text, viz. Gilboa in- liantmen, and able to encounter with
stead of Gilead. But this is equally thousands. Doth but a foul word,
gratuitous. For our own part, as the or a frown, scare thee from Christ.
true import of the Heb. It) tzaphag, Doth the loss of a little land or silver
rendered depart ear'ly, is left by the disquiet thee'. Doth but the sight of
lexicographers entirely undetermin- the Midianites in the valley strike
ed, we feel disposed to abide by the thee? Home then, home to the
rendering of the Chaldee,'Whoso- world; thou art not for the conquerever is fearful and afraid, let him re- ing band of Christ.  If thou canst
turn, and let a selection le made from  not resolve to follow him through inmount Gilead,' i. e. from the men of famy, prisons, racks, gibbets, flames,
mount Gilead, or the Abiezrites, depart to thine house, and save thy
among whom  Gideon dwelt, and life to thy loss.' Bp. Hall.
upon whom  he supposed he could   4. The people are yet too many. It
put more dependance. This inter- is hardly possible to conceive a sepretation would seem to be strikingly  verer trial of faith than that to which
confirmed by the complaint of the Gideon's was now subjected. While
Ephraimites in ch. 8. 1, 2, on which he doubtless thought his men too few,
see Notes.-  fr There returned of God saw that they were too mzany,
the people tiwenty and two thousand.  and ordered a still farther reduction!
The application of a rigid test is apt' This may help us to understand
to make thinning work in the ranks those providences which sometimes
of God's professed friends.  One seem to weaken the church and its
would have thought that against interests-its friends are too many,
such an enemy as Midian, and under too mighty, too wise, for God to wol k
such a leader as Gideon, no Israelite deliverance by; God is taking a
would have owned himself fearful course to lessen them, that he may
and proved recreant to his duty. Yet be exalted in his own strength.' Hentwo parts out of three turned their ry. —-    I will try theWm.'Will put
backs upon their country's standard them to the proof; or, Heb.' will sewhen they saw the numbers and the parate, will purify,' the word usually




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VII.                             99
that of whom  I say unto thee,  5 So  he brought  down  the
This shall go with  thee, the  people unto the water: and the
same shall go with thee; and of LORD said unto Gideon, Every
whomsoever I say unto thee, one that lappeth of the water
This shall not go with thee, the with his tongue as a dog lapsame shall not go.                 peth, him  shalt thou set by himapplied to the assaying or refining of he plies rapidly to and from the wametals.  Is. 48. 10, Mal. 3. 2, 3. ter, throwing each time a spoonful
--— 17o? thee. God himself knew  of the fluid into his mouth. The huperfectly  beforehand  who  would man tongue is not adapted to this
stand the test and who would not, use; and it is physically impossible,
but fo-r the satisfaction of Gideon, he therefore, for a man to lap literally
would have the trial made in an as a dog laps. The true explanation
open and convincing manner.- undoubtedly is, that these men, in~ Of whom I say qento thee,; This siall stead of kneeling down to take a long
g'o, &c. That is, whom I shall in- draught, or successive draughts, from
dicate by the result of the experiment, the wamer, employed their hand as
not in express words. We have be- the dog employs his tongue,-that is,
fore remarked of the word' say,' for!lring it into a hollow spoon, and
when applied both to God and men, dipping water with it from the stream.
that it by no means necessarily im- This mode of drinking is often pracplies verbal commqznication, but often tised in the East, and practice alone
simply the mental purpose of the can give that peculiar tact which genspeaker. Probably a better render- erally excites the wonder of travelinyi throughout the clause would be-  lers.  The interchange of the hand' will go,''will not go,' &c., making between the water and the mouth is
the sense rather that of a prediction, managed withamazingdexterity, and
than of a command. In the first in- with nearly or quite as much rapidistance, the timorous were separated ty as the tongue of the dog in the
by public proclamation; in the pre- same act. The water is not suckedc
sent, the same effect was to be produc- out of the hand, but by a peculiar
ed by a private signal, understood jerk, is thrown into the mouth before
only by God and his servant Gideon. the hand is brought close to it, so that
Multitudes had remained rather than the hand is approaching with a fresh
to incur the imputation of coward- supply almost before the preceding
ice, whom  the Most High still saw  has been swallowed; which constito be cravens at heart.           tutes another resemblance to the ac5. Every one thtat lappeth-as a tionofthedog's tongue. Intravelling,
dog, &c.  The two modes of drink- when one comes to water and wishes
ing here described have been differ- to drink, he cannot well stop the
ently understood, and thefirst, inpar- whole party to wait for him, and
ticular, has been the subject of vari- therefore, if on foot, any delay would
ous interpretations.  The dog drinks oblige him  to unusual exertion in
by shaping the end of his long thin order to overtake his party. Theretongue into the form of aspoon, which fore he drinks in. the manner above




100                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1249.
self; likewise  every one that thine hand: and let all the other
boweth down upon his knees to people go every man unto his
drink.                             place.
6 And the number of them that  8 So the people took victuals
lapped, putting  their hand  to in their hand, and their trumtheir mouth, were three hun- pets: and he sent all the rest of
dred men: but all the rest of. Israel every man unto his tent,
the people bowed down upon  and retained those three huntheir knees to drink water.        dred men.   And the host of
7 And the  LORD  said unto  Midian was beneath him in the
Gideon,' By the three hundred  valley.
men that lapped will I save you,  9 ~T And it came to pass the
and deliver the Midianites into  same e night, that the Lord said
d 1 Sam. 14. 6.                   e Gen. 46. 2, 3.
described, and satisfies his thirst in a commendable hardihood and selfmuch shorter time than would one denial, left themselves comparatively
who should kneel or lie down for the dr'y.  The reader, however, will expurpose, and indulge himself in a ercise his own judgment as to recog,more leisurely draught. This con- nizing any such allusion.
sumes so much time, that few, but   7. Will I save you. You, the nathose who are mounted, indulge in tion; the word being in the plural.
it, as they can ride on before and sat-  8. So the people took victuals, &c.
isfy themselves by the time their par- That is, the three hundred who lapty comes up; or if behind, can easily ped. They took the necessary quanovertake them.  This explanation  tity of victuals for the day's conwill serve to show how the distinc- sumption, while the others were distion operated, and why those who missed to their tents, i. e. to go'lapped, putting their hand to their where they pleased.  It is highly
mouth.' were considered to evince probable, however, that many of them
an alacrity and readiness for action remained within hearing, though at
which peculiarly fitted them for the a safe distance, and followed up the
service in which Gideon was engag- blow after the assault had been made
ed. —It may be observed that the and the route commenced by the seoriginal word for lappeth  yalok,) lect band. Those who shun the conis precisely the sound which a dog flict are often forward to share the
makes in drinking.-   I Him shalt victory.-  TAnd retained. Besides
thou set by /Iimself. Heb. X12 tatzig. the sense of'retaining,' the Heb.
As this is the same word with that implies that he clung to them with
employed, ch. 7. 37, to signify the strong affection and confidence.putting by itself of the fleece, it would IT The host of Midian was beneath hAim
seem that that miracle had a design- intthe valley. In the valley of Jezreel.
ed though latent reference to the two This circumstance should be particuclasses of men here distinguished; larly noted in connexion with the
of whom the one satu6ratedthemselves dream mentioned below.
with water, while the other, through    9. And it came to pass the same




13. C. 1249.]           CHAPTER  VII                             101
unto him, Arise, get thee down   12 And the Midianites, and the
unto the host; for I have de- Amalekites, g and all the childlivered it into thine hand.        ren of the east, lay along in the
10 But if thou fear to go down, valley like grasshoppers for mulgo thou with Phurah thy ser- titude; and their camels were
vant down to the host:             without number, as the  sand
11 And thou shalt fhear what by the sea-side for multitude.
they say; and afterward shall  13 And  when   Gideon'was
thine hands be strengthened to  come, behold, there was a man
go down unto the host.  Then  that told a dream  unto his felwent he down with Phurah his low, and said, Behold, I dreamservant unto the outside of the  ed a dream, and lo, a cake of
armed men that were in the host. barley-bread  tumbled into the
f ver. 13, 14,15. See Gen. 24. 14. 1 Sam.
14. 9,10.                                  g ch. 6. 5, 33, and 8. 10.
night, &c. It should seem that the ened. God, who both inspired the
previous reduction of his numbers dream and directed Gideon's steps to
had filled Gideon with some secret the spot where he might hear it remisgivings. God therefore gracious- lated, knew perfectly well the effect
ly offered him a farther sign, where- it would have upon his mind, which
by his faith should be confirmed, and he expressly foretels. —~ Unto the
his fear altogether dispelled., This outside of the armed men. Heb.' to
was a sign that should be given him  the outermost of the ranks by five.'
by the enemy themselves.  He was Of this phrase see note on Ex. 13. 18,
to go down with his servant, to the Josh. 1. 14.
enemy's camp, and hear what they   12. Lay along. Heb. Fir: nophethemselves said.  The result per- lim, were lying fallen; i. e. lying
fectly satisfied the mind of Gideon; prostrate and fallen asleep.  It does
he had no doubt now but that God not refer merely to the position they
would fulfil his promise; and in full had chosen for their encampment,
assurance of faith he instantly ar- but to the bodily posture they were
ranged everything for the encounter. actually in at this time.  The same
I- f I have delivered it into thine phrase occurs in the same sense in
hand. It is as certain as if it were the next verse, where mention is
already done.                      made of the prostration of the Mid10. Go thou with Phuqral thy ser- ianites' tents.- rLike grasshoppers.
vant. Heb. ~] naarki, thy young Rather,' like locusts;' as also ch. 6.
{man. His being accompanied by his 5.-  rAnd their camels. That these
servant would not only tend to di- nations, especially Midian, abounded
minish his own fears, but their unit- in camels, see Is. 60. 6.
ed testimony, as to what they should   13. A cake of barley-bread turmbled,
hear, would confirm the statements &c. To understand this, it is nemade to the people on their return.   cessary to revert to the circumstance
11. Thine hands be strengthened. before mentioned, v. 8, viz. that GidThou shalt be encouraged, embold- eon's forces were stationed on the
9*




102                         JUDGES.                  [B. C. 1249
host of Midian, and came unto for into his hand hath God de.
a tent, and smote it that it fell, livered Midian, and all the host.
and overturned it that the tent  15 ~IT And it was so, when
lay along.                        Gideon heard the telling of the
14 And his fellow  answered dream, and the interpretation
and said, This is nothing else thereof, that he worshipped, and
save the sword of Gideon the returned into the host of Israel,
son of Joash, a man of Israel: and said, Arise; for the LORD
hill of Moreh, while the Midianites a ball among nine-pins, prostrating
had pitched below in the valley. every thing in its course.
The barley-cake which the man saw    14. This is nothing else save the
in his dream, doubtless seemed to sword of Gideon. That is, this means
roll down the hill into the valley, nothing else than the sword, the vieoverturning the tent or tents with torioius charge and onset, of Gideon.
which it came in contact.  This The interpretation as well as the
naturally enough connected it with dream were doubtless both of divine
Gideon, while the apparent inade- suggestion.'A  wise providence
quacy of the cause to produce this hath prepared a dream in the head
effect would strike the most casual of one Midianite, an interpretation
observer.  If it had been a great in the mouth of another, and hath
stone, the overturning of tents in its brought Gideon to be an auditor of
progress would have occasioned no both; and hath made his enemies
wonder; but that such an effect prophets of his victory, encouragers
should be produced by a barley-cake,; of the attempt, proclaimers of their
seemed as little likely in human pro- own confusion!' Bp. Hall.-~Debability as that Gideon with his little livered Midian and all the host. Or,
band should overthrow the vast host Heb.'delivered Midian, even all the
of Midian. That it was not only a host.'
cake, but a barley-cake, seems a cir-  15. 7he interpretation thereof. Heb.
cumstance designed to show more'I'Ml s shibro, the breaking thereof; instrongly the insignificance of the asmuch as the solution or explication
cause. The use of barley was gra- of any thing obscure and difficult is
dually superseded by that of wheat, like breaking the shell of a nut and
and barley-bread became the food getting at the kernel within.-~ He
only of the lower orders, of convicts, worshipped.  Bowed himself in a
and of beasts. It was therefore na- posture of reverence and adoration,
turally associated with the ideas of and gratefully gave thanks to God
dishonor and of insignificance.-   for the encouragement he had now
IT Came unto a tent and smote it, &c. been permitted to hear from a source
Another instance, as we understand of which he little thought.' To hear
it, of the Heb. usage by which the himself called but a barley-cake
collect. sing. is employed for the plu- troubled him not, when he heard
ral. It was not a single tent that was withal that his rolling down the hill
smitten by the rolling cake, and over- should break the tents of Midian. It
thrown, but it came among them like matters not how base we be thought,




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VII.                           103
hath delivered into your hand  outside of the camp, it shall be
the host of Alidian.               that as I do, so shall ye do.
16 And he divided the three   18 When I blow with a trum.
hundred men into three compa- pet, I and all that are with me
nies, and he put a trumpet in then blow  ye the trumpets alse
every man's hand, with empty  on every side of all the camp,
pitchers, and lamps within the and say, The sword of the LORD,
pitchers.                          and of Gideon.
17 And he said unto  them,  19 11 So Gideon and the hunLook on me, and do likewise: dred men that were with him,
and behold, when I come to the caine unto the outside of the
so we may be victorious: the soul stronger and not so liable to be exthat hath received full confirmation 1 tinguished by the wind.
of God in the assurance of his salva-   17. Look on me. Heb. WIrl 1hh
tion, cannot but bow the knee, and by mimmenu tir', see from me; i. e. see
gestures of body tell how it is ra- from me, from my example, what to
vished.' Bp. Hall.                 do yourselves, and when to do it. It
16. Into three companzes.  Heb. is probable that he now unfolded to.M7112VI    ~'114   sheloshidh roshim, into  them minutely every step of the strathree heads; i. e. three grand divi- tagem, so that they could all act in
sions. So it is said of the rivers of concert when the signal was given,
Eden, Gen. 2. 10, that'they were as otherwise the strangeness of the
parted and became into four heads,'  scheme, the darkness of the night,
i. e. four principal or distinguished  and the distance of the men from
streams. See note in loc. The de- each other, would have been apt to
sign of dividing them in this manner render the whole abortive. In these
was that they might appear to sur- words he is merely agreeing upon the
round the enemy's camp more en- signal.
tirely, leading them to think that they   18. The sword of the Lord and of
were environed on every side by a Gideon. Heb.           Ml.' V 1'~ll5ailogreat army.-I- Put a trnmpst in val: qzlegidon, for the Lord and for
every man's hand. Heb. D1hZqI Jln' 1   Gideon. The original for' sword''5' q: vayitten shophorotk beyad (Ili hIereb), is not found in this
kuslladm, gave trumpets into the hand verse, though it is necessarily imoofll of them. —o    Enty  itchers, plied, and occurs in the parallel pasMade of earthen ware, so as to be  sage v. 20.  It is inserted, however,
easily broken. They were designed in this place in the Chald., Syr., and
to conceal the lights till the proper Arab.; and in eight of Kennicott's
time. —~Lamps within the pitchers. and De Rossi's manuscripts; and is
Or, Heb. V'VIn,  lappidim, torches, probably a genuine reading. This
fiaqmbeaux.  Instead of lamps far- war-cry was taken from the internished with wicks and fed with oil, pretation of the dream, to which
we are probably to understand torch- Gideon, with his usual modesty and
es made of pitchy or resinous billets in recognition of his dependence on
Of wood, the flame of which was divine succor, prefixed the name of




104                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1249.
camp in the beginning of the withal: and  they  cried, The
middle watch; and they had sword  of the  LORD, and  of
but newly set the watch: and  Gideon.
they blew  the trumpets, and   21 And they hb stood every man
brake the pitchers that were in in his place round about the
their hands.                      camp;'and all the host ran, and
20 And the three companies cried, and fled.
blew  the trumpets, and brake   22  And  the  three  hundred
the pitchers, and held thelamps  kblew  the trumpets, and'the
in their left hands, and the trum-   h Ex, 14.13, 4. 2 Chron. 20. 17. i 2 Kings
pets in their right hands, to blow  7. 7. k Josh. 6. 4, 16, 20. See 2 Cor. 4. 7.! Ps. 83. 9. Isai. 9. 4.
thelord-' The sword of the Lord fighting men had been in proportion
and of Gideon.'                   to that of the trumpeters.  It was
19. In the beginning of the middle mainly in consequence of this errowatch.  A little after midnight; for neous impression that the stratagem
the Hebrews divided the night into succeeded as it did.
three watches.  At this time they   21. Stood every man in his place.
would naturally be sunk in their Thus the host of Midian was disprofoundest slumbers, and of course comfited without the Israelites strikbe thrown into the utmost confusion ing a blow. They stood unmoved
on being suddenly awakened.       in their places, blowing their trum20. The three companies blew the pets and holding their torches, as if
trumpets, and brake thle pitchers, &c. to encourage and give light to countEvery man probably dashing his less numbers of fighting men behind,
pitcher against that of his comrade while in fact they afforded light to
who stood next him.  The effect of the Midianites to slay each other,
this, with the intermingled sound of though not enough to enable them to
the trumpets and the shouts of the distinguish friend from foe.-  rAIl
assailants reverberating  on every the host ran, &c. That is, ran about
side of the camp, together with the the camp, hither and thither, in wild
sudden glare of three hundred torch- confusion, pursuing and pursued by
es blazing on the scarcely opened eyes their own men. The' running' was
of the Midianites, must indeed have thuls distinguished from the'fleeing,'
been astounding. As the enemy could which was nothing else than the atnot imagine that every Israelite had tempt to escape from the place of their
a trumpet and a light, the noise of so encampment.  The panic was no
many trumpets, the blaze of so many doubt greatly increased by the alarm
lights, with the crash of the broken  and fright of their'numerous camels.
pitchers from different quarters, must   22. Fled to Bethshitta], &c. The
have conveyed to their minds the names of these places occur not elsemost exaggerated ideas of the num- where in the Scriptures, except that
bers by which they were beset. Gid- of Abel-Meholah, which was in the
eon's army would have been great half-tribe of Manasseh on this side
indeed, if, as the Midianites must Jordan.  As the Midianites would
have supposed, the number of the naturally strike w.owards the Jordan




1B. C. 1249.]           CHAPTER  VII.                            105
LORD set mevery man's sword  Ephraim, saying, Come down
against his fellow, even through-'against the Midianites, and take
out all the host: and the host before them  the  waters unto
fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, I Beth-barah and Jordan.  Then
and to the border of Abel-meho- all the men of Ephraim gathered
lah, unto Tabbath.                 themselves together, and ~ took
23 And the men of Israel ga- the  waters  unto  PBeth-barah
thered themselves together out and Jordan.
of Naphtali, and out of Asher,  25 And they tookqtwo princes
and out of all Manasseh, and of the  M/idianites, Oreb  and
pursued after the Midianites.    Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon
24 If And Gideon sent messen- r the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they
gers  throughout  all  n mount slew at the wine-press of Zeeb,
m I Sam. 14. 20. 2 Chron. 20. 23. n ch.  o ch. 3. 28. p John 1. 28. q ch. 8. 3. Ps.
3. 27.                             83. 11. r Isai. 10. 26.
to cross over into their own country, distinguished, nor can they properly
the other places here mentioned were be considered the same, as is done
doubtless in that direction from the by many commentators. The copuplain of Jezreel.                  lative'and,' may be regarded here,
23. Thce men of Israel gathered as often elsewhere in the Scriptures,
themselves together out of Naphtali; as a particle of distinction;-' occupy
&c. Including probably numbers of all the fords that lie in the way till
the two and twenty thousand who had they come to Beth-barah, but above
previously w'ithdrawn themselves, or all those of the Jordan;' or with
been dismissed by Gideon as lacking Rosenmtiller, we may render,' Unto
the requisite degree of hardihood and Beth-barah, even Jordan.' The same
courage for the impending conflict. precaution was taken before in the
Now, however, when bolder spirits case of the Moabites, ch. 3. 28, and
had made the onset and put the ene- was the usual practice when the enemy to flight, they are ready to join in my belonged to the country east of
the pursuit. But though their timidi- the river.   The Beth-barah here
ty in the former instance was not to spoken of is probably the same with
their credit, we do not know that that mentioned John 1. 28, where the
their neutrality on  this occasion Hebrews forded Jordan under the diwould have been guiltless. It was rection of Joshua.
probably their duty to come forward   25. Slew Oreb upon th/e'rock Oreb,
to the aid of their brethren and help &c. These two Midianitish leaders
them to a complete victory.        had taken shelter, one in the cavern
24. Take before them  the waters.  of a rock, the other in the vat of a
Take possession of the fords of what- wine-press; both of which places
ever streams may lie in their route, were afterwards, from this circumbut more especially of the fords of stance, called by their names; of
the Jordan, to prevent their escaping which Oreb signifies a r'aven, and
into their own country.  The' wa- Zeeb, a wolf. Amongancient nations,
ters' and the'Jordan' are expressly generals and princes often took the




106                          JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1249.
and pursued Midian, and brought            CHAPTER  VIII.
the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to    XND a the men of Ephraimn
Gideon on the s other side Jordan. _      said unto  him, Why hast
s ch. 8. 4.                 a See ch, 12. 1. 2 Sam. 19. 41.
names of birds and beasts. Thus, we may learn, (1) To undertake
among the Romans, we find Grac- nothing in our own strength. (2) To
chus, a jacckdaw, Corvinus, a crow, draw back from  nothing to which
Aquilinus, an eagle, &c.-~ And we are called. (3) To doubt of nopursued Midian. Rather, Heb.'1-n11  thing wherein God promises his aid.
lM O   N yir'deFhu el Midypn, pu'r- (4) To take the glory of nothing
sued unto Midian, i. e. to the country which God does by us.
of Midian, to their own borders on
the other side of the Jordan. And if        CHAPTER VIII.'hey crossed the river in the pursuit,   1. And the men of Ephraim. Heb.
why should they not have followed         iRq V2[ ish Eph'rayim, a,'d the
tnem to their own territories, which wman, or mnanhood, of Eplhraim; i. e.
lay near tothe Jordan?.l- Brought the leading men, the elders.  See
the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon,. on Josh. 9. 6,  This complaint was
It was anciently, and is still an al- probably uttered  when  the heads
most universal custom  with eastern  of the two  slain princes of Minations to take off the heads of op- dian were brought to Gideon, but
posing chiefs and bring them to the whether this was before or after his
victorious general. It is a sort of crossing the Jordan, it is not easy
trophy, and has been regarded as to say. It is not determined by the
such, at one time or other, in nearly expression,'on the other side Jorall nations,  David cut off the head dan,' ch. 7. 25. for this phrase in the
of Goliath, probably intending to original  ()1?'i ZVrtl)  signifies
bring it to Saul; and the head of either this side or that, as the case
Saul himself was cut off by the Phi- may be.  The probability, however,
listines, and sent by them to their own we think is, that our translation has
country.  At present the heads of correctly rendered it' from the other
conquered chiefs and commanders side,' and that Gideon had now passed
are transmitted  to Constantinople the Jordan, but that the incident here
from the most distant parts of the related comes in somewhat by antiTurkish empire, to be laid at the cipation, in order that what relates to
feet of the Sultan, and then to deco- the Ephraimites might be finished
rate his palace gates. Itis, however, without hereafter interrupting the
to be presumed that the sentiments thread of the narrative.  The interof a more refined civilisation, and view here mentioned, we suppose to
the silently meliorating influences of have taken place after Gideon's reChristianity will ere long banish all turn from the pursuit of the Midiantraces of such atrocious barbarity ites. v. 4. — trWhy hast thou served
from the earth. From the foregoing us thus. Heb. ri2.V Pti   ~   P3h
interesting narrative respecting Gid- 1b  ma&A haddab&r hazzeh aszthii
eon and his wonderful deliverance, lanu,, what thing is this thou hast




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VIII.                           107
thou served us thus, that thou  What have I done now in comcalledst us not when thou went- parison  of you?  Is not the
est to fight with the Midianites? gleaning of the grapes of Ephraand they did chide with  him  im  better than the vintage of
sharply.                           Abi-ezer?
2 And  he  said  unto  them,
done sato us? —— If And t?/ou call- off the yoke. What then prevented
edst us not, &c. Rather,' that thou them from nobly coming forward and
mnalledst us not.' Although the vic- volunteering in the enterprise l But
tory of Gideon, by freeing thet  such is the perverse temperament of
from the tyranny of Midian, had been some men, that under the influence
of equal advantage to them with the of a morbid and envious spirit, they
rest of their brethren, yet from not construe every exaltation of their
having been sharers in the glory of neighbor, as an injury done to themit, this tribe was ill-affected in view  selves; and nothing is more common
of the result. The pique which is than for those who will not attempt
here expressed seems to have origi- or venture anything in the cause of
nated in a prior state of jealous ieel- God, to be ready to censure those
ing, existing on the part of Ephrain, who show more zeal and enterprise
towards Manasseh.  Ephraim was than themselves.  How often, too,
brother to Manasseh, the tribe from  when the danger is past,' does the
which Gideon sprung, and, probably, coward vaunt his courage I The conpriding themselves on the pre-emi- duct of the Ephraimites on this, and
nence assigned them in the blessing anotheroccasion very similar, which
of Jacob and Moses, on the descent resulted in the slaughter of two and
of Joshua from  their tribe, on their forty thousand of their number, ch.
having the tabernacle fixed in their 12. 1-7, evinces that they were a
inheritance, and on their superior people of rash, hasty, and impetuous
numbers, they seem to have indulged spirit, and the incidents mentioned
a very bitter spirit of rivalry towards afford a striking illustration of two
their brethren. Hence the allusion emphatic declarations of Scripture.
elsewhere, Is. 9. 21, to the envy and (1) That,' only by pride cometh conm utual disaffection of these two tribes. tention;' and, (2) That,'for every
In the present instance, their com- right work a man is envied of his
plaint was evidently unjust, as Gid- neighbor.' —--  Did chide with himr
eon had acted throughout under di- I siarply.   Heb. It"'lt'ln   behAzek&h,
vine direction, instead of ordering strong'ly, with vehe mere.
the services of the tribes, at his own   2. Is not the gleaning of the grapes
discretion. Moreover, if so disposed, -of Ep raim better, &c. A metaphorthey had the amplest opportunities to ical and proverbial mode of comsignalize themselves in behalf of the mending the smallest action of one
common interest.  They knew their as superior to the greatest of another;
country was suffering under foreign or of' saying that the Ephraimites,
oppression, and that forces were rais- by intercepting the enemy at the
ing with a view to resist it and shake  fords of Jordan, and slaying the two




108                           JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1249
princes ofthe Midianites, had achiev- has been pleased to honor me, why
ed more than Gideon and his army. should that be an offence to you!' he
The answer was admirably adapted wisely forbore to take to himself the
to soothe the exasperated spirits of credit that he justly might, thus hidhis accusers; it was the soft answer ing, from theta the light that pained
which turneth away wrath.  How- their eyes, and casting a veil over the
ever much we may be disposed to actions that had provoked their jeal.
admire great military exploits, and ousy. A  striking instance this, ot
to account men honorable, in propor- the' charity which vaunteth not ittion to the victories they have gained; self, which seeketh not her own.'
there is a victory over ourselves that His conduct naturally leads to the
far more dignifies a man, than the remark, (1) That the only way to
most extended conquests over others; appease unreasonable wrath is by
and we cannot but regard Gideon's curbing, in the spirit of meekness
defeat of the Midianitish host, with and forbearance, the outbreak of a
so small a force, as less worthy of kindred passion in ourselves. Yieldadmiration, than the self-possession  ing pacifieth great offences.   (2)
he exercised to'wards the offended True humility not only sheds a douand reviling Ephraimites.' He that ble lustre over all our gifts, graces,
is slow  to anger is better than the and attainments, but is a disposition
mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit, tending no less to the preservation of
than he that taketh a city.' Thus our own happiness, than to the condoes Solomon weigh, in an evenbal- ciliation of those who are offended
ance, the different characters above at us; for if once willing to foregc
alluded to.  Not a word of recrimi- the honor to which we are entitled
nation dropped from  the mouth of it will appear a small thing to us to
Gideon. Though he might, perhaps, be censured without a cause; seeing
have  justly  said, that when  the that such censures only reduce us to
Ephraimites knew his determination  the place which we were previously,
to oppose the Midianites, they had in our own minds, disposed to occunever offered their services, or come py. And it will almost invariably be
forward to assist him; but when the found true, that as men are ready to
danger was over, they were ready to hate those who arrogate honor to
impute evils to him  for omissions, themselves, so will they be moreeasiwhich were chargeable only on theml- ly reconciled to those who are humselves.  But, instead of loading his ble and unassumin.-7TBctte' tlha
adversaries with blame, or glancing the vintage of Abi-ezer.  That is, of
at anything that might either betray the Manassites,  from  whom  the
irritation in his mind, or strengthen  family of Abi-ezer, to which Gideon
it in theirs, he is glad to search out belonged, descended.  Chald.' Are
causes of commendation.  He mag- not the feeble of the house of Ephranifies their performance, and gives im  better than the strong of the
them the credit of doing more in the house of Abi-ezer V'
pursuit, in their gleanilngs, than he   3. Titeir angerq was abated. Heb.
in the battle. the vintage of Abi-ezeri. btM    ri2'f q'apihetlhaAl r'than, thei,'
Instead, moreover, of saying,'If God spirit relaxed, remnitted itself fron)




B. C. 1249.J            CHAPTER  VIII.                           109
3 bGod  hath  delivered  into   5 And he said unto the men
your hands the princes of Midi- of d Succoth, Give, I pray you,
an, Oreb and Zeeb: and what loaves of bread unto the people
was I able to do in comparison  that follow  me:  for they be
of you? Then their  anger was faint, and I am  pursuing after
abated  toward  him, when he Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of
had said that.                     Midian.
4 IT And Gideoll came to Jor-  6 IT And the princes of Sucdan, and passed over, he, and  coth said, cAre the hands  of
the  three  hundred  men  that Zebah  and Zalmunna now  in
were with him, faint, yet pursu- thine hand, that fwe should give
ing them.                          bread unto thine army?
ch. 7. 24 25. Phil 2. 3. e Pr. 15. 1    d Gen. 33. 17. Ps. 60. 6. e See I Kings
b ch.. 24,. Ph12... c rov. 5.. 20. 11. f See 1 Sam. 25. 11.
lhim.  How powerful to blunt the the city of Succoth, i. e. of tents, or
edge of other men's displeasure is a booths, so called from Jacob's having
conduct conformed to the Scriptural here pitched his tents on his removal
precept,'Let nothing be done through  from Mesopotamia, Gen. 43. 17. As
strife and vain glory, but in lowliness Gideon was now  engaged in the
of mind let each esteem others better common cause of Israel, he had a
than themselves.'                  right to expect succor from the peo4. Gideon came to Jordan, and ple at large. This claim he hints at
passed over.  Or, Heb. MI='' yibo, in the close of the verse.- ~The
had passed ever. See on v. 1. What people that follow  me.  Heb. "1=R
is related in the preceding verses'~'1t ashes beraglai, that are at my
seems to be by anticipation.- feet. See on ch. 4. 10.
~f Faint, yet mpursuing.  Much fa-   6. And the princes of Succoth said,
tigued with what they had already  &c. The verb in the singular, the
accomplished, yet eager to follow  noun in the plural, intimating that
up the blow, and determined not to some one spoke in the name of the
give over till the victory was per- rest; or, perhaps, rather that they
fectly achieved.  This is often the were all unanimous in this reply, as
Christian's case in the prosecution of if they had been but one man speakhis spiritual warfare. His' mortal ing with one mouth.  Comp. Num.
spirit tires and faints,' yet he stru- 3'2. 25. It may seem scarcely credigles on with the little strength that still ble that the inhabitants of Succoth
remainstohim, leaninguponomnnipo- and Peniel should refuse bread to
tenee, and resolved to conquer or die. their famished brethren; but having
5. He said unto the men of Succoth. been seven years under the dominaFrom this we learn the precise spot tion of the Midianites, to whom they
where Gideon crossed the Jordan. lived contiguous, they doubtless not
It was at the point where the Jordan only dreaded their vengeance, but
emerges from the Lake of Genesa- deemed it highly improbable that
ret, for near to this, on the east side Gideon should succeed.-~ Are the
of the river, in the tribe of Gad, lay hands of Zebal and Zalvnwzana now in
10




110                         JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1249.
7 And Gideon said, Therefore   8 IT And he went up thence
when the LorD hath delivered  hto  Penuel, and  spake  unto
Zebah and Zalmunna into mine them likewise: and the men of
hand,   then  I will tear your Penuel answered  him  as the
flesh with the thorns of the wil- men of Succoth had answered
derness and with briers.          him.
g ver. 16.                 h Gen. 32. 30. 1 Kings 12. 25.
thine hand?  Are their hands bound and upon the briers.'' Thus did
behind them  as captive prisoners, Gideon threaten the inhabitants of
indicating that their persons are en- Succoth; and thus do masters, fathers,
tirely in thy powerS  A bitter and and schoolmasters, swear they will
malignant taunt, as if he were cele- punish those  who have offended
brating a triumph before he had ob- them. To see the force of the figure,
tained the victory.' To have ques- it must be kept in mind that the peotioned so sudden a victory, had been ple (in the East) are almost in a
pardonable; but to deny it scornfully state of nudity. To tear a man's
was unworthy of Israelites. Carnal naked body, therefore, with briers.men think that impossible to others, and thorns, would be no small punwhich they themselves cannot do; ishment. See poor travellers, somehence their censures, hence their tilies, who, in consequence of a wild
exclamations.' Bp. Hall. How often, beast, or some other cause, have to
too, do those from whom we might rush into the thicket; before they
reasonably look for the most cordial can get out again, in consequence of
assistance, seek, like the men of Soc- thorns, they are literally covered
coth, to weaken our hands and dis- with blood.  There have been incourage our hearts.              stances where a master, in his anger,
7. I will teas; your flesh with the has taken a jagged edge of the palthorns, &c. Or, Heb. Vr"1; dashti, mirah branch, to tear the naked body
will thresh. The threat probably re- of his slave, and nothing can be more
lates to a cruel method of torture common than to threaten it shall be
used in those times, for putting cap- done to those who have given offence.
tives to death, by laying briers and People also often menace each other
thorns on their naked bodies, and with the repetition of the old punishthen drawing over them some heavy ment of tying the naked body in a
implements of husbandry. The opi- bundle of thorns, and rolling it on
nion of Drusius, that persons put to the ground.' Roberts. See farther
death in this manner were laid naked respecting this punishment on v. 16.
on thorns and briers, and then both   8. Went up thence to Penuzel. A
crushed and trampled together, seems city also in the tribe of Gad near the
to be confirmed by the force of the brook Jabbok, and not far from Sucpreposition in the original (Mt), coth; so called by Jacob for the reawhich, like the Latin cum, properly son mentioned Gen. 32. 30, 31.imports' together with,' una cuzm,    Spake unto them likewise.  That is,
rather than'by.'  Chald.'I will he made the same request to them
mangle your flesh upon the thorns, that he had to fhe men of Succoth.




B. C. 1249,]           CHAPTER  VIII.                         111
9 And he spake also unto the tents on the east of m lNobah and
men of Penuel, saying, When I Jogbehah, and smote the host:
come again in peace, kI will for the host was "secure.
break down this tower.             12 And when Zebah and Zal10 IT Now  Zebah and  Zal- munta fled, he pursued  after
munna  were  in  Karkor, and them, and otook the two kings
their hosts with them, about of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunfifteen thousand men, all that na, and discomfited all the host.
were left of'all the hosts of the   13 IT And Gideon the son of
children of the east: for there Joash returned from  battle befell an  hundred  and  twenty fore the sun was up,
thousand men that drew sword.  14 And caught a young man
11 IT And Gideon went up by  of the men of Succoth, and inthe way of them that dwelt in
m Num. 32. 35. 42. n ch. 18. 27. ] Thess.
i1 Kings22.27.  kver. 17,  1ch. 7.12.  5. 3.  o Ps. 83. 11.
9. When I conee again in peace. desert.'  Schmid, however, thinks
That is, according to the Heb. idiom, the allusion is to a portion of the
when I return in soundness, in safe- trans-jordanic Israelites who followty, in triumph; as his strong faith ed the nomade mode of life in these
assured him would be the case. He regions, as the Arabs in the neighdefers the intended vengeance for the borhood of Midian, being among the
present, for fear of losing time in the' sons of the East,' may be supposed
pursuit, and perhaps from a secret more likely to have been confedehope that they might upon farther rate with them  in the expedition,
reflection repent of their refusal, and and not disposed to let Gideon pass
atone for it by sending succors and peaceably through their borders.supplies after him. —--  Ivill break ~[ The host was secure. Heb. fnlnl
down this tower. They had probably, nn  hammahani] hehes'id, the Aost
on giving their answer, pointed in- was become security; not only secure,
sultingly to a tower in which their but in their own estimation, security
chief defence lay, and intimated to itself.
him that he might do his worst, for   13. Before the sun was up. More
they could amply defend themselves, correctly rendered according to the
10. In Karkcor. A town near the Heb. t>'sn M s725  milmaalAh hIeast frontiers of Gad, and at no great ha es, from the ascent or height of
distance from the source of the small theses. This rendering is confirmed
river Jabbok.  It is no where else by the Septuagint, the Syriac, and
mentioned.                       the Arabic. The original'Heres'
11. By the way of them that dwelt in is never used for'sun'except in the
tents. Probably he took an unwonted poetical style, Job 9. 7, while express
and unsuspected route along the ter- mention is made of mount Heres,
ritories of the Scenite or tent-dwell- ch. 1. 35. The writer's drift is proing Arabs.  Chald.' Gideon went bably to intimate that Gideon returnup by the way of the camps of the ed by a different route from that by
Arabians, who dwell in tents in the which he went.




112                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1249.
quired of him: and he described  ing, Are the  hands of Zebah
unto him  the princes of Suc- and  Zalmunna  now  in  thine
coth, and the elders thereof, even hand, that we should give bread
threescore and seventeen men.  unto thy men that are weary?
15 And he came unto the men   16 qAnd he took the  elders
of Succoth, and said, Behold  of the city, and thorns of the
Zebah   and  Zalmunna, with  wilderness, and briers, and with
whom ye did P upbraid me, say- tbemr  he taught the men of Succoth.
p ver. 6.
q ver. 7.
44. He described unto him. Hcb. thickets, &c., the idea of such laceVnq   =n1'1 va-yiktob ilauv, he wrote ration is always kept present either
for him.  He gave the names in by the actual experience of suffering,
writing of seventy persons, the chief or by the constant observation of it.
men of Succoth, who were most con- Hence tearing the flesh with thorns
cerned in refusing him and his men comes to be a familiar idea of penal
the refreshment he requested.-   infliction, and, as such, is popularly
~ And the elders thereof.  Even the mentioned as among the punishelders thereof. The princes and the ments which evil-doers deserve, or
elders were the same persons.      will obtain, not only in this life, but
16. He took-thorns and briers of in the life to come.-The punishthe wilderness, and with them  he ment, it must be acknowledged, was
tanught the mevn of Succoth.  Heb. severe, but the  provocation was
Y1e yOdda, made to know. He made great. Considered as an act of inthem  sensible of their crime and gratitude and inhumanity only, it
folly; in other words, he punished  was exceedingly sinfull; for what
them  by putting them  to death by could be more base than to refuse a
this mode of torture. This is to be meal to those who had, at the peril of
inferred from  the fact that their their own lives, delivered the whole
offence was the same as that of the nation from  the yoke of Midian;
men of Penuel, whom  he certainly and were now, though only three
did put to death. The probability is hundred in number, following the
that their naked bodies were laid in remaining fugitives, fifty times as
the midst of a heap of thorns, briers, numerous as themselves, in order to
and prickly brush, and then thresh- extirpate them  entirely X Had they
ing sledges or other heavy imple- been mere strangers and travellers in
ments of husbandry were drawn over distress, their request would have
them.  In northern nations, where been reasonable, and a refusal barthe body is completely covered, the barous; but considering that they
idea of such punishments with thorns were their own countrymen, and
on the naked person, seems a far- fighting their country's battles under
fetched device; but in the East,where the special calling and direction of
the clothing leaves much more of the Heaven, it was treason of the blackperson exposed, and where, in con- est dye; it was the very way to presequence, men are continually lace- vent the execution of the divine pul.
rating their skins in passing through poses, and if God had not miracu



1. C. 1249.1           CHAPTER  VIII.                           113
17 rAnd he beat down the men were they whom ye slew at
tower of s Penuel, and slew the t Tabor? And they answered,
men of the city.                  As thou art, so were they; each
1S'r Then said he unto Zebah  one resembled the children of a
and Zalmunna, What manner of king.
r vor. 9. s 1 Kings 12. 25.         t ch. 4. 6. Ps. 89.12.
lously renewed the strength of the oppression of Midian, when the
vi.itors. this refusal of food to them  children of Israel had been compel.
would have done more to vanquish led to make themselves dens in the
them than all the hosts of Midian mountains, ch. 6. 2, had taken shelhad been able to effect.  But they ter in mount Tabor, where they were
added insult to injury; they endeav- found by these two kings and barbaored to weaken his hands by deriding rously massacred in cold blood. It
the vanity of his attempts; they an- may be that the event had occurred
swered him in a tone of bantering but a short time before during Gidand scorn, and thus poured contempt eon's absence, and that he had mereupon a cause which, being of God, ly heard a confused account of it;
was thereby rendered sacred.  So still it is not clear, simply from the
that taking all things into view, it interrogative form of the address, that
cannot be questioned that Gideon did Gideon was uncertain whether his
right in making a fearful example brethren had perished by the hand of
of such wicked traitors. The whole these two princes. He may have put
of this remarkable transaction tends the question, in order to draw the
to inspire us with confidence in God, acknowledgment of the deed from
and to encourage our exertions in their own lips, and thus make his
his cause; but there are two lessons justice in their punishment more conespecially which we shall do well to spicuous. It should not be forgotten
learn from it; (1) To prosecute our that the day is coming when every
spiritual warfare under all discour- secret thing will be brought to light,
agements ourselves; and (2) To be and such conviction flash on the ofcareful to put no discouragements in fenders that they will no longer be
the way of others. God is indignant able to conceal their guilt.-~ITEac
with those who would weaken the one resembled the children of a king.
hands of his people. His command  This is an Orientalism still in use.
is,' Strengthen ye the weak hands, Of a person who is beautiful or of a
and confirm  the feeble knees; say fair complexion, who is courageous,
unto them that are of a fearful heart, and stately in his gait, it is said in
Be strong, fear not; your God will the East,' He is like the son of a
come and help you.'               king;'' He is the son of a god.' In
18. WV/at manner of men were they the measures of comparison, the king
whom ye slew at Tabor? This ques- and that which belongs to him, forms
tion relates to an occurrence not pre- the superlative degree, and to say
viously mentioned, but the inference that a person or thing is kingly, or
i;, that these uterine or full brothers like that which belongs to a king, is
of Gideon, during the seven years' to say that it is the most excellent of
10*




114                        JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1249.
19 And he said, They were But the youth  drew  not his
my brethren, even the sons of sword: for he feared, because
my mother: as the LORD liveth, he was yet a youth.
if ye had saved them  alive, I  21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna
would not slay you.               said, Rise thou, and fall upon
20 And he said  unto Jether us: for as the man is, so is his
his first-born, Up, and slay them. strength.   And Gideon arose,
its kind. From the reports of tray- whose consideration in life bore some
ellers it would appear, that in some proportion to that of the person to be
way or other, the royal families in slain. In fact, the office even of a
the East are usually remarkable for regular executioner, is not by any
the beauty and majesty of their per- means dishonorable in the East. The
sons; so that the comparison is some- post of chief executioner is, in most
thing more than a mere compliment- Oriental courts, one of honor and disary phrase.                      tinction. When thus there was no
19. My brethren, even the sons of regular executioner, it came to be
my mother. In countries where po- considered a sort of honor to put a
lygamy is tolerated, the ties of broth- distinguished person to death; and,
erhood are, as might be expected, on the other hand, the death itself
much more close and tender between was honorable in proportion to the
those who are born of the same mo- rank of the personage by whom the
ther, than those who are connected blow was inflicted. It was the greatonly as the children of the same fa- est dishonor to perish by the hands
ther. Of this we have had and shall of a woman or a slave. We see this
have ample evidence in the sacred feeling distinctly in the present narhistory. This explains why'son of rative, where the two princes much
my mother' was among the Hebrews, prefer to die by Gideon's own hand
as now among the Arabs and others, than by that of a youth who had oba far more endearing expression than tained no personal distinction. As
that of'my brother,' in the general to the hero's commissioning his son
sense.-   I I would not slay you. to perform this office, it was perhaps
Which he was not bound to do, in- partly to honor him with the distincasmuch as they were not Canaanites. tion of having slain two chief ene20. Up, and slay them. The He- mies of Israel; as well as because
brews had no executioner. When a the rules of blood-revenge made it
man was guilty of homicide, the exe- necessary that the execution of those
cution devolved on the next of kin, who had slain his own brethren,
by right of blood-revenge; in other should either be performed by himcases criminals were stoned by the self, or by a member of his own
people, the witnesses setting the ex- family.
ample: and when a king or chief   21. As the nman is, so is his strength.
ordered a person to be put to death, His strength is proportionate to his
the office was performed by the per- age, and therefore they would sooner
son to whom the command was given. be dispatched, and with less pain, by
And this was generally a person Gideon than by a youth.-'r Took




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VIII.                           115
and u slew Zebah and Zalmunna, I will not rule over you, neither
and took away the ornaments shall my son  rule  over you:
that were on their camels' necks. x the LORD  shall rule over you.
22 ~T Then the men of Israel  24 ~[ And Gideon  said unto
said  unto  Gideon, Rule thou  them, I would desire a request
over us, both thou, and thy son, of you, that you would give me
and thy son's son also: for thou  every man the ear-rings of his
hast delivered us from the hand prey.   (For they had golden
of Midian.                         ear-rings, Y because they  were
23 And Gideon said unto them, Ishmaelites.)
u Ps. 83. 11.            x  Sar. 8. 7, and 10.19, and 12. 12. y Gen.
25. 13, and 37. 25, 28.
away the ornaments that were on their had in subjection the motives which
camels' necks. Heb. t"'JltI  hassa- usually prevail with men. The amharonim, little moons, crescents. Pro- bition of exalting a family is a great
bably shining plates of gold or other snare; but a true patriot, who aims
metal in the form  of crescents sus- not at his own, but the public good,
pended from the camels' necks, and will decline rather than seek those
hanging down upon their breasts in honors, and rest satisfied with defront. The heads, necks, bodies, and serving well of his country, without
legs, of camels, horses, and elephants, aspiring to rule it.  All his sons,
are still highly ornamented in East- however, were not of his mind, and
ern countries.                     did not forget this offer, as will ap22. Rule thou over us, &c. That pear in the sequel.
is, they would have him to be king;   24. Tlhat ye would give me every
"and here it is that the Hebrews first man the ear-?rings of his prey. Or,
betray a desire to establish a heredi- Heb. 1'5U  tW] arm ish nizem shetary kingdom, forgetting the pecu- lalo, every man an ear-ring of his
liar character of their government, prey. The word in the original is in
and the high distinction which they the singular, and it seems more likely
enjoyed in having Jehovah for their that Gideon would have requested a
king. But the pious hero himself moderate, contribution from  each
was mindful of it, replying in the man, than that he should have detrue spirit of the theocracy,'.I will manded all the jewels of this kind
not rule over you, neither shall my which fell to the share of his followson rule over you, the Lord shall ers, and which perhaps constituted
rule over you.' Gideon, in modestly the most valuable portion of their
and piously declining the proposal, prey. The request of Gideon, though
acted with a moderation and wisdom  doubtless well intended, was certainworthy of himself.  IHe would do ly unfortunate in its results, as the
nothing that seemed to trench upon sequel clearly proves. On the true
the divine prerogative. Though he import of =T3 here rendered ear-ring,
would serve them  as a judge, he see on Gen. 24. 22.-   Becauqse they
would not rule over them as a king. wer'e Ishmaelites.   The Midianites
His decision showed how much he were not properly Ishmnaelites, being




116                         JUDGES.                  [B. C. 1249.
25 And they  answered, We dred shekels of gold; beside
will willingly giver them.  And  ornaments, and collars, and purthey spread a garment, and did ple raiment that was on the
cast therein every man the ear- kings of Midian, and beside the
rings of his prey.                chains that were  about their
26 And the weight of the gold- camels' necks.
en ear-rings that he requested,  27 And Gideon  made an ephod
was a thousand and seven hun-                 z ch. 17. 5.
descended from another son of Abra-   26. And the weight —was a thou.
ham; but from being much inter- sand and seven hundred shekels of
mixed with them, from following the gold. Taking the shekel at half an
same mode of life, and possessing the ounce weight, the sum of the gold
same general manners, they might collected in ear-rings was seventywell be so called.  Indeed the terms three pounds four ounces; and worth,' Ishmaelites,' and' Midianites,' seem  as gold now rates, upwards of twelve
to have been used interchangeably thousand  dollars.-1~ Ornaments.
from a very early period, Gen. 38. The same word as that applied to
25. Probably all those eastern kin- the' ornaments' of the camels, v. 21,
dred tribes whose way of life was and probably denoting articles of the
similar, and were much mixed with same form and material.-~  Colthe Arabians, were called Ishmael- lars. Rather, as the original ro1bed
ites in a general sense.  It is also nettephoth, comes from Af n&taph,
probable that large numbers of real to drop, to distil by drops, ear-drops,
Ishmaelites acted with the Midian- or pendants of pearl, from their form.
ites on this occasion, and Boothroyd -if Purple. See on Ex. 35. 35.
would restrict the words of the text The present is the first indication of
to these:-' Those slain, who were purple as a royal color.
Ishmaelites, wore golden pendants.'  27. Gideon made an ephod thereof.
In consequence of Mohammed's hay- An ephod was a vestment covering
ing prohibited rings of gold, the mod- the shoulders and extending over
ern Arabs do not exhibit such costly the breast, somewhat like a coat withornaments as the ancient Midianites. out sleeves. There were two kinds
25. We will willingly give. Heb. of them; one, a rich garment, pecun  JIM: nacthen niten, giving we liar to the high priest, made of blue,
will give. The same feelings which purple, scarlet, and twined linen,
had just before prompted them to of- curiously wrought, and embroidered
fer him a crown, undoubtedly dis- with gold. In this was set the breastposed them now to comply with his plate studded with precious stones,
request, with the utmost readiness. and containing the Urim and ThumThough he asked but a single arti- mim, by which the high priest concle from  each, yet from  the total suited the will of Jehovah, Ex. 25. 7;
amount of the donation, it would 28. 4. The other was made after the
seem that in giving many of them  same model, butof inferior materials,
went beyond the letter of his request, being composed simply of fine linen.
and threw in a number.            and worn not only by the priests, but




B. C. 1249.]            CHAPTER  VIII                           117
thereof, and put it in his city,  28 ~ Thus was Midian subeven ain Ophrah: and all Israel dued before the children of Isbwent thither a whoring after rael, so that they lifted up their
it: which thing became ca snare heads no more. d And the coununto Gideon, and to his house.
a ch. 6. 24. b Ps. 106. 39. c Deut. 7. 16.   d ch. 5. 31.
by the Levites and others, in divine cle at Shiloh, and so far tended to
ministrations, as we see from the case pave the way for that decline into
of Samuel, 1 Sam. 2. 18, and of Da- positive idolatry, which took place
vid, I Sam. 17. 16, neither of whom  after his death..-    All Israel went
belonged to the sacerdotal order. The thither, &c. They made it a means
ephod made by Gideon was undoubt- of practising superstition and idolaedly designed to be of the former try; they resorted to this, instead of
kind, and was thus wrought with  the true ephod, to inquire the will of
great splendor. His real motive in God; thus gradually forsaking the
this transaction is not very easily de- place which Jehovah himself had
termined.  Some think the ephod ordained as the one seat of worship
was designed merely as a commemo- To such disastrous consequences
rative trophy of Israel's deliverance; may one false' step of a good man
but, if so, it was a very strange one, lead, who fails to weigh well the
having no conceivable relation to issues of his best meant conduct.
such an event. The more probable The following suggestions naturally
opinion undoubtedly is, that it was arise from  the narrative.  (1) In
intended wholly for a religious use. God's worship human inventions are
Gideon had, at his first calling, been to be most carefully avoided, and the
instructed to build an altar and offer inspired word strictly adhered to.
sacrifice.  This perhaps induced  (2) What may be indifferent or innohim  to think himself authorized to cent to one man may, to a weaker
officiate in the same way, occasion- brother, be a dangerous snare. (3)
ally, at his own house, and as he The beginning of sin is as the letting
knew that an ephod was a usual ap- out of water. From  small beginpendage to such an office, he might nings arose all the present horrid
have had one formed and finished in idolatry of the church of Rome.sumptuous style for this purpose. If ~ Became a snare unto Gideon and to
this be the right conjecture, the wor- his house. That is, became not only
ship performed was doubtless in a sourceofevil personally toGideon,
honor of the true God, but it was enticing his affections from the prostill unauthorized and improper, how- per object, and abating his zeal for
ever he may have considered the the true worship of God in his old
first commission as constituting a age, but proving the occasion of sin
good warrant for his continuing the and ruin to his family, as appears
service. Even in his life-time, it un- from the ensuing chapter.
questionably had the effect of with-   28. They lifted up their heads no
drawing the attention of the people, more.  Recovered not their former
east of the Jordan, from the taberna- strength or spirit; were not in a




118                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1209
try was in quietness forty years  33 And it came to  pass ias
in the days of Gideon.            soon as Gideon was dead, that
29 IT And Jerubbaal the son the  children  of Israel turned
of Joash went and dwelt in his again, and k went a whoring after
own house.                        Baalim, land made Baal-berith
30 And Gideon had  ethree- their god.
score and ten sons of his body   34 And the children of Israel
begotten:  for he  had  many   remembered  not the  LORD
wives.                            their God, who had delivered
31 fAnd his  concubine that them out of the hands of all their
was in Shechem, she also bare enemies on every side:
him a son, whose name he called 35 n Neither showed theykindAbimelech.                        ness to the house of Jerubbaal,
32 IT And Gideon the son of namely, Gideon, according to all
Joash died gin a good old age, the  goodness which  he  had
and was buried in the sepulchre showed unto Israel.
of Joash his father, hin Ophrah
of the Abi-ezrites.                 i ch. 2. 19. k ch. 2. 17. 1 ch. 9. 4. 46.
m Ps. 78. 11, 42, and 106. 13, 21. n ch. 9. 16,
e ch. 9. 2, 5. f ch. 9. 1. g Gen. 25. 8. 17, 18. Eccles. 9. 14, 15.
Job 5. 26. h ver. 27. ch. 6. 24.
condition again to invade or annoy The incident certainly proved of
the Israelites in their possessions. evil omen, whether Abimelech was
-~ In quietness forty years in the prompted to the course he pursued
days of Gideon. While Gideon lived. by reflecting upon the import of his
The forty years are perhaps to be name or not.  The influence of
dated from the defeat of the Midian- names, in the formation of characjtes, and. the consequent complete ter, is probably much greater than is
recovery of the national liberty.  usually imagined, and deserves the
30. Of his body begotten.  Heb. special attention of parents in their
~~ rXm1 yotzed yereko, coming out bestowment.  Children  should be
of his thigh. Intimating they were taught that the circumstance of their
his own natural sons, sons by gene- bearing the names of good men or
ration, and not by adoption.      women, who have lived before them,
31. His concubine that was in She- constitutes an obligation upon them
chem. A lawful, but secondary wife, to imitate and perpetuate their virtues.
whose children could not inherit.  33. Baal-Berith. That is, Tlhe Lord
See on Gen. 16. 1-3. — f Whose of the covenant; so called, perhaps,,name he called Abimelech.  Heb. from his being considered the deity
j"        I= rl ihm t=1?  yhsem eth, shemo that presided over compacts, leagues,
Abimelek, whose name he set, put, ap- treaties, covenants, &c., especially to
pointed,Abimelech. The name proper- avenge the violation of them.
ly signifies,'father-king,' and was   34, 35. Remembered not the Lord
perhaps conferred out of complais- their God,-Neitther showed they kindance to his concubine, who may have ness to the house of Jerubbaal. On
desired it from  ambitious motives. the two concluding verses of this




B. C  1209.]             CHAPTER  IX.                             119
CHAPTER  IX.                ears of all the men of Shechem,
ND Abimelech the son of Whether is better for you, either
Jerubbaalwent to Shechem  that all the sons of Jerubbaal,
unto a his mother's brethren, and which are bthree-score and ten
communed with them, and with  persons, reign over you, or that
all the family of the house of his one reign over you? remember
mother's father, saying,           also that I am  cyour bone and
2 Speak, I pray you, in the your flesh.
a ch. 8. 31.                 b ch. 8. 30. c Gen. 29. 14.
chapter, we have simply to remark, of seventy persons,' &c.  From the
1) That they who are kept from  authority and influence which Gidevil, not so much by their own choice eon had possessed, and from the acas by the restraint of others, will, knowledged dignity of his family,
like the slackened bow, start aside the presumption would naturally be,
the moment the string is loosed. (2) that if the reins of government were
We are not to wonder if they are to be lodged in any hands, it would
ungrateful to us, who show them- be in those of some one of his sons,
selves destitute of all gratitude to- or of all of them conjointly. On this
wards God.                         hypothesis Abimelech builds his project. But his words convey a slanCHAPTER  IX.              derous insinuation which is not obvi1. Abimelecl —went to Shechem. ous to the English reader. He speaks
As Shechem was a city of note in the of Gideon's sons' reigning' (>am2
tribe of Ephraim, and the Ephraim-,z&slhal,) or exercising domination
ites appear to have been a rash, over their countrymen, whereas it
high-spirited, and excitable people, was just this species of rule which
particularly jealous of their brethren Gideon so expressly rejected both for
of Manasseh, and perhaps still cher- himself and his sons, ch. 8. 23, as inishing the memory of the fancied vading the prerogative of the Most
slight put upon them by Gideon, ch. High; being content with the infe8. 1-3, Abimelech,no doubt, promised rior degree of authority usually inhimself, on this ground, the speedy dicated by the term tr   shAfphat, to
concurrence of the Shechemites in judge. Nor is there any evidence,
his infamous designs. But his first that either ot his sons had the least
step was to enlist his relatives in his intention  of assuming a despotic
interest, and with this view he ap- sway over their brethren. But Abiplies himself to them, undoubtedly, melech's conduct, in this particular,
with all the arts of an aspiring dema- affords but another proof that he. who
gogue.                             has a wicked purpose to serve will
2. The men of Sheclbem. Heb.' the not stick at a lie to accomplish it,
masters of Shechem:;' implying per- and that those who design ill themnaps the leading men, though not selves are ever ready  to charge
necessarily confined to this sense.-   similar designs upon  others. —
9[ Wh7ether is better, &c. Heb.' what IT Yonr bone and your flesh. Your
is good. whether the ruling over you kinsman, of your tribe and lineage,




120                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1209.
3 And his mother's brethren wherewith Abimelech hired
spake of him in the ears of all fvrain and light persons, which
the men of Shechem  all these followed him.
words: and their hearts inclined   5 And he went unto his father's
to follow  Abimelech; for they house gat Ophrah, and hslew
said, He is our d brother.        his brethren the sons of Jerub4 And they gave him  three- baal, being threescore and ten
score and ten pieces of silver out
of the  housof   f eBaal-berith    e ch. S. 33. fch. 11. 3. 2 Chron. 13. 7.
of the house o  Prov 12. 11. Acts 17. 5. g ch. 6. 24. h2
d Gen. 29. 15.         Kings 11. 1, 2.
and therefore so much the more like- their adherence, shows that his sugly to promote your interests. The gestions had taken effect. They are
relation indicated by these words is prompted to support his claims, bemore or less close according to the cause from his near relationship they
connexion in which they occur. In would doubtless be raised to places
some cases, it implies nothing more of preferment under him, and their
than descent from a common ances- city would be likely to be made the
tor, 1 Chron. 11. 1; in others, kin- metropolis of the kingdom.
dred of the same blood, as Jacob and   4. Out of the house of Baal-berith.
Laban, Gen. 29. 14; David and Am- From this it is evident that idolatry
asa, 2 Sam. 19. 13; and in others had gained ground again in some
again, it appears simply to indicate places during the life-time of GCidthe relation subsisting between the eon. The treasure deposited in this
inhabitants of the same city or town. temple, which had perhaps been raisPerhaps this is all that is to be under- ed from oblations to the idol, and thus
stood in the present case. But how- consecrated to idolatrous uses, is
ever interpreted, it was advancing a made through the divine counsels the
reason for his election, which was instrument of bringing upon the idolanever contemplated in the appoint- torsdeserved punishment, byembroilment of magistrates over the nation ing them in a civil war that caused
of Israel. It was, in fact, directly their ruin. Nothing is more common,
opposed to the true ends of that in- in the providence of God, than for
stitution; which required that per- the revenues of sin to be made a
sons chosen to office should be se- plague and a curse to those that
lected on the ground of moral quali- amass them.-   r Vain and light
fication, and that in their adminis- per'sons.  Worthless and abandoned
tration of justice, they should be free men; idlers and vagabonds, the very
from the bias naturally arising from  scum of society, persons who were
private and personal regards.     living on the public, aind had nothing
3. Theier hearts inclined to follow  to lose; ever the most fitting instruAbimelech.   Heb.'~in t5    tzi ments of tyranny and cruelty.'Z17t~E  vayyl t libbam a'ear'E Abirme-   5. Slew his bretlhlren —tAreescore and
lek, their heart *inclined itself after ten personas. The real number would
Abimelech; spoken of as the heart of seem  to have been sixty-eight, for
one man.  The reason assigned for Jotham escaped, and Abimelech him.




B. C. 1209.]            CHAPTER  IX.                          121
persons, upon one stone: not- gathered together, and all the
withstanding, yet Jotham the house of Millo, and went and
youngest son of Jerubbaal was made Abimelech king, by the
left; for he hid himself.         plain of the pillar that was in
6 And all the men of Shechem  Shechem.
self is of course to be excepted. This fortunate victims an oblation to Baal,
is on the supposition that the whole in revenge for the sacrifice of the
number of Gideon's sons was, accord- bullock prepared for Baal on the
ing to ch. 8. 30, precisely seventy, rock, ch. 6. 25, 26. This crime of
which however cannot be positively Gideon, as these idolators considered
affirmed. The presumption is, that it, they determined to expiate by the
seventy is here employed as a round sacrifice of his sons. That the men
number. We have in this incident of Shechem joined in this impious
the first indication of a savage cus- slaughter is indubitable from v. 24,
tom, which is not yet extinct in Asia, and this is about all that can be disand under which, a new king deems tinctly ascertained respecting it.  It
it a measure of policy to put to death is highly probable, however, that
his brothers, from a fear that their Abimelech, under some false preambition, or the favor of the people tence, as perhaps that of celebrating
towards them, might lead them to some festival, had convened his
form designs against his dignity or brethren together in one place. The
life. Thus, the commencement of a transaction shows, what indeed has
new reign is signalized by the same been shown in a thousand similar inhorrible transaction as that of which stances, that ruthless ambition never
we here read. In Persia, where the hesitates; that neither conscience nor
same principle operates, the new  affection, neither the love of God nor
monarchs have rather sought to se- the fear of man, restrains those who
cure their own safety by putting out are under its baneful influence.
the eyes of their brothers and others.  6. All thie house of Milla.  Heb.
from whom they might entertain ap- Nl 5  hrl  beth-millo; literally, the
prehensions. —Tr Upon one stone. Of house of filling up, perhaps so called
the precise manner in which the from a deep pit or valley in the
murder was effected, we are left in neighborhood of Shechem being filled
ignorance. It was a common mode of up, and a stronghold or castle built
capital punishment, in ancient times, upon it. There is a strong presumpto precipitate culprits from an emi- tion that the same place is intended
nence upon a rock or stone; and to as that which, in v. 46. is called'a
this our Saviour seems to allude, hold of the house of the god Berith.'
Mat. 21. 44. According to some, it -~By the plain of the pillar. Or,
was in this manner, that the sons of Heb. nZh 1'ln A im UIn mutztzatb,
Gideon perished on this occasion. by the oak of the pillar. The allusion
Others suppose that the stone was is perhaps to the oak or oak-grove
used as a kind of altar, and that upon near which Joshua erected a pillar,
it Abimelech, in conjunction with as a witness of the covenant renewed
the men of Shechem, made his un- between God and Israel, Josh. 24. 26.
11




122                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1209.
7 ~ And when they told it to  and  said unto them, Hearken
Jotham, he went and stood in unto me, ye men of Shechem,
the top of imount Gerizim, and that God may hearken unto you.
lifted up his voice, and cried,  8 k The trees went forth on a
i Deut. 11. 29, and 27. 12. Josh. 8. 33.  k See 2 Kings 14. 9.
John 4. 20.
Schmid however maintains that the parture also, after delivering the paoriginal'=73 never signifies a'pil- rable, leads us to the same conclular,' or "'statue,' but properly a mound, sion. He would of course entertain
or artificial heap, and supposes that fears of his personal safety in the
the Shechemites raised up some lofty midst of a body of excited adherents
elevation, on the summit of which of his brother, at the very time when
the ceremony of Abimelech's coro- their enthusiasm was wrought up to
nation was performed, in order to the highest pitch, and after uttering
render the whole visible to a greater his message would be likely to make
rmultitude.  This structure he sup- good his retreat as speedily as possiposes, moreover, was situated on a ble. At another time, there would
plain near a certain well-known oak, have been less occasion for so much
which in memory of the transaction haste. I- Hearken qunto me-thlat
was thenceforward called'the oak  God may hearken unto you. Employof the rising heap;' just as Deborah's ing, in this mode of summoning their'palm-tree,' ch. 4. 6, was so called attention, a kind of adjuration, which
from her having made it a seat of would be understood to signify that
justice. This view of the subject we he spoke on this occasion by divine
are inclined to adopt.            inspiration, and had a special mes7. Stood in the top of mount Geri- sage from God to deliver to them.
rim.. A mountain in the immediate   8. The trees went forth, &c. Heb.
vicinity of Shechem, of which, see IZM) i1~7  holk hAleku, going iwent
Deut. 27. 12.  Josephus says, that forth; an emphatic phrase; intimathe availed himself of the occasion ing the entire unanimity and heartiof a public festival, when great mul- ness with which they entered upon
titudes of the people were assembled the measure. We have in this adtogether at the place specified, but dress of Jotham, the oldest, and one
still implying that the incident occur- of the most beautiful parables on rered some time after the above-men- cord. It is the nature of a parable
tioned inauguration of Abimelech as or fable to give' tongues to trees,' and
king.  But to us it appears more intelligence, life, and activity to all
probable that Jotham's address was parts of the animate and inanimate
delivered on the very same occasion creation. The truth of such a parawith the former event, or at least be- ble lies in the instruction conveyed
fore the people had dispersed from  in it, and the feigned circufhstances
that convention. The place was the being known to be such, are no ways
same, and from the language, v. 18, inconsistent with veracity, but great19,' ye have risen up this day,' we ly subserve the cause of truth. The
should naturally infer that the time peculiar excellence of this mode of
was the same. Jotham's abrupt de- instruction is, that it arrests the at



B13.. 1209.]           CHAPTER  IX.                            123
time to anoint a king over them;  9 But the olive-tree said unto
and they said unto the olive- them, Should I leave my fattree,'Reion thou over us.                     ch.8.22,3.
tention more forcibly, and conveys side of the margossa (bitter) tree."'
knowledge more easily, than a train A short fable, tc gether with its' morof reasoning could do; and convinc- al,' is more easily remembered than
es the judgment before prejudice has a labored argument or the same truth
had time to bar the entrance of truth expressed in abstract terms, and
into the mind. Accordingly it has hence it is that we find this vehicle
happened that in the East especially, of instruction so frequently employed
where the imagination and the whole in the Scriptures. Fables are there
mental temperament is more fervid exemplified in all their various uses,
and glowing than elsewhere, this whether to reprove kings, to admonveiled form of instruction has always ish multitudes, or to instruct discibeen in high repute, whether in con- ples. Our Lord himself did not disveying wholesome truths to the ear dain to employ them. They are all
of power, or inculcating lessons of perfect of their kind; nearly all of
wisdom  and justice and duty upon them are very short; and in most inthe obtuse and unreasoning multi- stances, as in that now before us, the
tude.  Mr. Roberts remarks that, application is made by the speaker.'The people of the East are exceed- The general moral of Jotham's paraingly addicted to apologues, and use ble is, (1) That weak and worthless
them to convey instruction or reproof; men are ever forward to thrust themwhich with them  could scarcely be selves into power, while the wise and
done so well in any other way. Has good are more prone to decline it.
a man been told a secret, he says, in (2) That they who unduly affect
repeating it, for instance, " A tree honor, and they who unjustly confer
told me thqis morning, that Kandan it, will prove sources of misery to
offered a large bribe to the Modeliar, each other.  Both these points are
to get Muttoo turned out of his situa- most strikingly illustrated in the pretion." Does a man of low caste wish sent fable, as compared with the acto unite his son in marriage to the tual results. — Tf To anoint a king.
daughter of one who is high, the From which it appears that the cerelatter will say, " Have you heard that mony of antointing was in use among
the pumpkin wants to be married to the neighboring nations, long before
the plantain-tree?"  Is a wife ste- there was any king in Israel; for the
rile, " The cocoa-nut tree inViraver's scope of the parable makes it necesgarden does not bear any fruit." Has sary to suppose that this was done in
a woman had children by improper imitation of foreign tribes. As the
intercourse, it is said of her husband's Lord was their king, there was no
garden, "Ah, the palmirah-trees are more occasion for the Israelites setnow giving cocoa-nuts." Has a man ting a king over them, thar there
given his daughterin marriage to an- i was for the trees to appoint a proother who uses her unkindly, he says, tecting head over them'I have planted the sugar-cane by the   9. The olice tree said, &c. As the




124                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1209
ness, wherewith  by me they  fig-tree, Come thou, and reign
honor God and man, and go to  over us.
be promoted over the trees?        11 But the fig-tree said unto
10 And the trees said to the them,  Should  I forsake my
m PS. ]0-i. ]5.        sweetness, and my good fruit,
bramble was the meanest and most 9r Should I leave my fatness.  The
worthless of all the trees of the field, form of the original is peculiar, beor forest, so the olive was the most ing apparently so compounded as to
useful. This tree, naturalists ob- convey at once both an active and
serve, seems to have been originally passive sense;-' Shall be persuaded
a native of Asia, whence it was to make to cease, (i. e. to forego) my
transplanted into Egypt and Barbary fatness 2'-covertly implying that the
and the South of Europe. The wood assumption of rank and authority inis hard-grained and heavy, and not volves a relinquishment of one's priliable to be injured by insects. Its vate ease, advantage, and comfort.
color is yellowish, veined, and of an - ~  Wherewith by me they honor
agreeable odor, while its textureren- God and man. There was a large
ders it susceptible of a fine polish. use of olive-oil in the service of God.
The appearance of the olive-tree is The priests were anointed with it,
not unlike that of our willows, as the the lamps in the tabernacle lighted
leaves are lance-shaped, or narrow, with it, and almost all the offerings
and hoary. The fruit when ripe is of fine flour cakes prepared in the
like a damson to the eye, with a soft pan, &c., had oil mingled with them;
oleaginous pulp, and a hard nut in for which reason Jotham might say
the centre. In some parts of France that' with it they honor God.' Morethe inhabitants eat the berries of the over as priests, prophets, and kings,
olive with their bread, and find them  were anointed with it, and their ofan agreeable and wholesome condi- fice was the most honorable, he might
ment. The olive, in general, requires with propriety say,' therewith they
a little preparation in brine or hot honor man.' —~Go to be promoted
water to dissipate the bitter principle over tl.e trees. Marg.'to go up and
which it contains, though a variety, down for other trees.' Horsely,'to
which is very uncommon in France, wave or nod over the trees.' Our renis so sweet that it may be eaten at dering,'promoted,' comes far short
once. It is probable that the olives of giving the exact force of the Heof Judea, when in its prosperity, were brew. The original word properly
of this character, and formed to the signifies to be moved to and fro, to
inhabitants a pleasant accompani- wander, to stagger, to be shaken and
ment to the more substantial articles tossed.  This interpretation gives a
of their daily food.  The oil of the more lively image of the perils, cares,
olive is pre-eminent among vegeta- and vicissitudes of government, espeble oils, and has not only always had cially among a turbulent and refrac.
an extensive use in culinarypurposes, tory people.
but formed the menstruum or vehicle   11. Should I forsake my sweetness.
of the most celebrated perfumes. —    The fruit of the fig-tree is the sweet



B. C. 1209.]            CHAPTER  IX.                           125
and go to be promoted over the and go to be promoted over the
trees?                           trees?
12 Then said the trees unto   14 Then said all the trees unto
the vine, Come thou, and reign the bramble, Come thou, and
over us.                          reign over us.
13 And the vine  said  unto   15 And the bramble said unto
them, Should I leave my wine, the trees, If in truth ye anoint
nwhich cheereth God and man, me king over you, then come
n Ps. 104. 15.
est or most luscious of all fruits. A  sume the disaffected.  It is a proper
full ripe fig, in its own climate, has emblem of a base-born, impious, crtan indescribable sweetness; so much el, and oppressive king.
so, that it is almost impossible to eat   15. If in truth ye anoint me, &c.
them, till a considerable time after That the bramble here, represents
they are gathered from the trees, and Abimelech, chosenand anointed king
have gone through an artificial pre- by the Shechemites, is the general
paration.                         opinion of commentators, both Chris13. Which cheereth God and man. tian and Jewish; and thus far, unNot that God and man are cheered doubtedly, the opinion is correct. But
by the use of wine in the same way; when it is supposed, that the words
but as it was employed in the sacri- spoken by the bramble represent sim,.
fices and offerings made to God, it ilar words actually spoken by Abimmight in that sense be said that he elech, it may be questioned whether
was' cheered' by it, because when they have hit the true scope of the
thus offered he was graciously pleas- passage.  The real import of the
ed to accept of it.               bramble's reply seems to be, not to
14. Then said all the trees unto the represent what Abimelech actually
bramble, Come thou, and reign over said, but what he justly might have
us. The meanest and most worth- said, in a spirit of prophecy, to the
less of trees, and fit only to be burn- men of Shechem, intent upon his
ed, though capable of annoyance from  elevation to the throne. The brambeing armed with prickly spikes. ble, in answer to the proposal, does
The original itM  atad, translated not decline, but accepts, the offered
thorns' in Ps. 58. 9, and rendered honor; but yet in the very terms of
rhamnus, in the Vulgate, is supposed the acceptance, mcved by a prophetic
to have been a species of buckthorn, impulse, utters a prediction respecta native of Syria and Palestine, ingthe event, implying that so far as
whence it migrated into Europe in this measure was not adopted in
the reign of Augustus Cmesar. Many truth, i. e. rightly, properly, acceptaof the buckthorn family are remarka- bly, it would be attended with disasble for the length and abundance of trous consequences, and the bramble,
their spines, and for the very com- as an unjust usurper over the rest of
bustible nature of their wood, which the trees, would be consumed by a
vrobably suggested the idea of the fire that should spread and involve
fire' that was to come forth and con- in its ravages the lofty cedars of Le.
11*




126                        -JUDGES.                  [B  C. 1209.
and put your trust in my Osha- have done unto him'according
dow: and if not, Plet fire come to the deserving of his hands:
out of the bramble, and devour  17 (For my father fought for
the qcedars of Lebanon.           you, and adventured his life far,
16 Now therefore, if ye have and delivered you out of the
done truly and sincerely, in that hand of Midian:
ye have made Abimelech king, 18 " And ye are risen up against
and if ye have dealt well with my father's house this day, and
Jerubbaal and his house, and have slain his sons, threescore
and ten persons, upon one stone,
o Isa. 30. 2. Dan. 4. 12. Hos. 14. 7. p ver. and have made Abimnelech, the
20. Num. 21. 28. Ezek. 19. 14. q 2Kins 
14. 9 Ps. 104. 16. Isa. 2. 13, and 37. N. son of his maid-servant. king
Ezek. 31. 3.                             r ch. 8. 35. s ver. 5, 6.
banon.  This was precisely what   16. If ye have done truly and sinAbimelech should have said to the cerely.  Properly rendered by the
men of Shechem, although, in point Vulgate,'If ye have acted well and
of fact, he seems to have been so without sin in appointing,' &c. The
confident of success, and a favorable phrase is exegetical of'in truth' in
result, that nothing was farther from  the preceding verse. The same exhis thoughts. The whole drift of the pression occurs Josh. 24. 14.
passage turns upon the true meaning   17. Adventured his life far. Heb.
of the phrase' in truth,' which is not':T. 1b: rM J5Ml yishlik eth naphhere opposed to falsehood, duplicity, sho minneged, cast his life from over
fraud, and mockery, but to conduct, against.  A metaphorical expreswhich is wrong, improper, not found- sion, highly  significant, and reed in views of duty and obedience. quiring us to conceive that Gideon,
Consequently the words that follow, while occupying a place of safety,'let fire come out,' &c., ought rather with his life unjeoparded, heroically
to be rendered,' fire shall come out,' resolves to throw it, as one would
&c., as they are merely a prediction cast a spear, directly towards the
of the result that would ensue, pro- enemy, into the very midst of peril,
vided their motives had not been This he did when he fell with only
right in what they had done.  Jo- three hundred men upon the multitham's application in the ensuing tudinous hosts of the Midianites.
verses clearly confirms this inter- Comp. ch. 5. 18, and 12. 3.
pretation. —-   Let fire come out of   18. Have slain his sons. The murthe bramble, &c.  Understood as a derous deed perpetrated by Abimeprophecy, the meaning is, that the lech is here charged upon the men
man represented by the bramble will of Shechem, on the ground of their
be a source of plagues and judgments having consented to it, approved of
to the' cedars of Lebanon,' i. e. to it, and probably assisted in it. Parthe most eminent persons of the ticipators in crime justly share the
land, particularly of Shechem; a guilt of the principals. —ff Son of
prediction which the sequel shows to his maid-servant.  His concubine;
have been remarkably fulfilled.   so called here by way of disparage.




B. C. 1209.]            CHAPTER  IX.                          127
over the men of Shechem, be- the men of Shechem, and the
cause he is your brother:)       house of Millo; and let fire
19 If ye then have dealt truly come  out from  the  men of
and  sincerely  with  Jerubbaal Shechem, and from  the house
and with his house this day, of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
then t rejoice ye in Abimelech,  21 And Jothaln ran away, and
and let him also rejoice in you: fled, and went to  XBeer, and
20 But if not Ulet fire come dwelt there, for fear of Abimeout from Abimelech, and devour lech his brother.
t Isai. 8. 6. Phil. 3. 3. u ver. 15, 56, 57.  x 2 Sam. 20. 14.
ment and reproach. Maid-servants, clothed with an efliciency which laid
however, were often adopted as con- a foundation for the character given
cubines, Ex. 21. 7-10.-r- Because of them in what is said of the two
he is your brother. Not because he is witnesses, Rev. 11. 5, 6,' And if any
the son of Gideon, or for any intrin- man will hurt them, fire proceedeth
sic worth in himself, but simply from  out of their mouth, and devoureth
his bearing a relation to you, which their enemies. These have power
you hope to turn to your advantage. to shut heaven, that it rain not in the
19. If ye have dealt truly and sin- days of their prophecy; and have
cerely —then rejoice ye, &c. He there- power-to smite the earth with all
ibre leaves it to the event, that is, to plagues, as often as they will.'
the providence of God, to determine   21. Ran away and fled and went.
whether they had done well or ill in This accumulation of equivalent extheir choice; q. d.'if your conduct pressions denotes the great haste with
towards the house of Gideon can be which Jotham  made his escape 
justified at any bar of justice, honor, confirming the view given above, v.
or conscience, then much good may 7, of the time when this address was
you have of your king; but if you delivered. —ff To Beer. Beer sighave dealt basely and wickedly in nifies a well, and is prefixed to the
this matter, then never expect to names of many places mentioned in
prosper.'                         Scripture, from water being found
20. Let fire come out, &c. Or, Heb. in their vicinity.  The place here'O  N    tUtz6 ish, fire shall come out. designated seems to have been a city
Not barely a prediction, but also an of the Gibeonites, Josh. 9. 17, within
imprecation or curse, as it is ex- the boundary of the tribe of Benjapressly called, v. 57. As the thorn min. Itwas situated about ten miles
or bramble may be the means of kin- north of Jerusalem, and not far from
dling other wood, because it may be Gibeah.  Eusebius takes notice of
easily ignited; so shall Abimelech this place as being a considerable
be the cause of kindling a fire of village in his time; and Maundrell
civil discord among you, that shall informs us that the modern village
consume the rulers and great men stands in a pleasant situation on an
of your country. The denunciations edge of the hill, with a gentle deof prophets and good men, uttered clivity to the south. At the foot of
under divine prompting, were often the hill there is an excellent spring




128                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1206.
22 IT When  Abimelech  had   24 a That the cruelty done to
reigned three years over Israel, the threescore and ten sons of
23 Then  Y God sent an evil Jerubbaalmight come,and their
spirit between Abimelech  and blood be laid upon Abimelech
the men of Shechem; and the their brother which slew  them,
men of Shechem  Cdealt treach- and upon the men of Shechem
erously with Abimelech:           which aided him in the killing
of his brethren.
y 1 Sam. 16. 14 and 18. 9, 10. See 1 Kings
12. 15, and 22. 2a. 2 Chron. 15, a5, and 18.  a 1 Kings 2. 32. Esth. 9. 25. Ps. 7. 16.
19, &c. Isa. 19. 2, 14. z Isai. 33. 1.  Mat. 23. 3, 36.
of water, which may have given it its cord and treachery to break out.
name, and above it are the remains Under the direction of providence,
of an old church built by the empress but not in consequence of any posiHelena.                           tive agency, jealousies were suffered
22. When Abimelech had reigned to arise, which produced factions,
three years over Israel. Here again and these factions in their turn prothe original for'reigned' (tir1o st- duced insurrections, civil conteneilh), is a word properly signifying tions, and bloodshed. Comp. 1 Kings
to exercise despotic sway, a species of 22. 23; Ps. 78. 49. The throne of
rule entirely different fiom the mild violence never stands secure. The
and gentle ascendency indicated by blood upon which it has been estathe term 1DUD sh&phat, to judge. The blished seldom fails to undermine it
legitimate rulers of Israel at this at last.-~Dtrealt trache erously. The
time could never be termed  t'W1  original properly implies faithlesssarim, princes, unless in consequence ness, or the being wanting to one's enof the usurpation of a power which gagements, and is especially applied,
the primitive structure of their gov- Jer. 3. 20, to conjugal infidelity.
ernment did not allow. It is proba- The Shechemites brake their coveble that Abimelech's authority did nant with Abimelech and shook off
not at first extend beyond the cityof his yoke, but how far they were
Shechem, which had appointed him  chargeablein this with a moral delin.
king.  But by gradual encroach- quency in the sight of God, we prements he seems to have extended his tend not to say. The word, perhaps,
sway over some of the adjacent towns in this connexion, does not carry any
and territories, compelling them to such implication with it.
acknowledge his power, as we find   24. That the cruelty, &c. That is,
him, v. 50, going against Thebez, in the just revenge of that cruelty; inthe tribe of Ephraim, as a rebellious dicating the end, the scope, of the
city that seems to have refused sub- sovereign permission mentioned in
jection to him.  By the phrase the preceding verse. Sooner or later'reigned over Israel,' we are doubt- the justice of God will make inquiless to understand a part of Israel, sition for blood, especially the blood
i. e. such tribes as submitted to him. of the innocent. — r  Which aided
23. God sent an evil spirit. That Aim. Heb. ~'1I t1r 1RT hizzeku eth
is, permitted the evil spirit of dis- I yadbv, which strengthened his hands,




B. C. 1206.]            CHAPTER  IX                            129
25 And the men of Shechem  came  with  his brethren, and
set liers in wait for him  in the went over to Shechemn: and the
top of the mountains, and they men of Shechem put their conrobbed all that came along that fidence in him.
way by them: and it' was told   27 And they went out into the
Abimelech.                        fields, and gathered their vine26 And Gaal the son of Ebed yards, and trode the grapes, and
25. Set liers in wait.  The writer man of rank and influence, who had
now goes on to state in what manner once been a citizen of Shechem, but
the evil spirit of dissension before for reasons unknown, had ceased for
spoken of began to produce its le- a time to be a resident there. Being,
gitimate effects.  The disaffection however, of a bold, aspiring, ambiwhich had been some time growing tious character, and  finding the
in secret, at length takingadvantage troubled state of the city propitious
of Abimelech's temporary absence to his designs, he returns, accomfrom Shechem, assumed the charac- panied with a strong party of relater of open revolt, and a conspiracy tives, and begins plotting at once to
was formed to make a prisoner of put himself at the head of affairs.him whom they had lately hailed as I[ Went over to Shechem. Or, Heb.
prince. God is often pleased to pun-' passed by into Shechem.' That is,
ish bad men by the very persons who probably, passed by the liers in wait.
have contributed to their elevation, Knowing them to be a party hostile
thus chastising them with the rods to Abimelech and favorable to their
which they themselves have gather- own views, they suffered them to
ed.-  ITRobbed all that came along pass without molestation. It is not
that way. Disappointed and impa- unlikely that Gaal had been previtient probably by reason of Abime- ously in correspondence with the
lech's delay in returning, those who disaffected part of the Shechemites,
were posted in ambush were prompt- and was fully advised of the state of
ed to enact upon others the violence things in the city.-I-~ Put theirs
intended for him, and more especi- confidence in hiMt.  So as to make
ally, we may suppose, upon such of him head of the faction which had
his known adherents as chanced to been organizing against Abimelech,
pass that way.                    but which hitherto had lacked a suit26. And Gaal the son of Ebed came, able leader.  Vulg.'At whose com&c. The mention of this person is ing the inhabitants of Shechem took
somewhat abruptly introduced, and courage.'
we know no more of him than is   27. And they went out, &c.  Or,
here stated. It has been conjectured Heb.' and when they had gone out,
that he was a native Canaanite from  &c.-then they made merry.'  The
his courting the Shechemites into original for' making merry,' is propsubjection to the men of Hamor, who erly,'making songs,' or,'making
was anciently, in the days of Jacob, praises,' and refers to the custom of
lord of this city. However this may celebrating the harvest of vintage
be, there is little doubt that he was a with songs of rejoicing and other fes



130                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1206.
made merry, and went into b the  serve him-? is not he the son of
nouse of their god, and did eat Jerubbaal? and Zebul his offiand drink, and cursed Abime- cer? serve the men of dHamor
lech.                              the father of Shechem: for why
28 And Gaal the son of Ebed  should we serve him?
said, CWho is Abirrielech, and   29 And ewould to God this
who is Shechem, that we should  people were under my hand!
b ver. 4. c i Sam. 26. 10. 1 Kings 12. 16.  d Gen. 34. 2, 6. e 2 Sam. 15. 4.
tivities; of which see Lev. 19. 24; cowardly that you not only submit
Is. 16. 9, 10; Jer. 25. 30.-  ~ Went to the tyrant himself, but suffer his
into the house of their god, &c. In very servants to lord it over you, and
imitation of the worshippers of the particularly this contemptible Zebul 
true God, who resorted to the sanc- — iServe the men of Hamor. The
tuaryon such occasions. —— ff Cursed descendants of Hamor. If ye will be
Abimelech.  Loading his name with in subjection, call someone toaut.horithe foulest reproaches and revilings, ty who is descended from the ancient
and perhaps calling upon their god and legitimate stock of Shechem, into ratify their imprecations.  The stead of this ignoble alien despot.
excitement- occasioned by wine in This was perhaps a virtual chalscenes of mirth and banqueting natu- lenge to them to fix their choice upon
rally prepares men for murders, trea- himself, as deriving his origin from
son, and every evil work.          this source. This is confirmed by
28. Who is Abimelech, and who is what follows. —I The father of Shee
Shechem? That is, the Shechemites. chem. The father or founder of the
Cbompare them  together, put this city and the race of the Shechemites;
base-born, worthless usurper by the the name of an individual standing
skde of us native Shechemites, and for the whole people.
what reason can be assigned f9r our   29. Would to God this people were
subjection to him. —I Is he'not the sender my hand! An exclamation disson of Jeruhbbaal? Spoken by way of closing the hidden source which usudisparagement and contempt, as if ally prompts the complaints of artful
despising his memory and prompted demagogues against the existing orby an indignant recollection of the der of things, and their large profesact on which his name was founded, sions of concern for the public welviz. his throwing down the altar of fare; though seldom  so frankly deBaal.  Thus do men of turbulent dared as in the presentinstance. His
and ambitious spirits' despise domin- words clearly evince that his real obions, and speak evil of dignities,' and ject was not so much to recover the
thus are the most valuable services liberties of his countrymen, as to per.
of the best of men requited by the suade them to a change of rulers. It
vile and worthless.-    And Zebul is not easy to set bounds to the mishAis noficee?  Heb.'rty, pekido, his chief that may be effected by an artoverseer; probably made governor of ful leader working upon the minds
Shechem by Abimelech in his ab- of an inflamed populace. —   ~ Then
sence. Are you so mean-spirited and would I remove Abimelech. Weuld




B.C. 1206.]             CHAPTER  IXK                           131
then would IremoveAbimelech. and his brethren, be come to
And he said to Abimelech, In- Shechem; and behold, they forcrease thine army, and come out. tify the city against thee.
30 ~ And when Zebul the ruler  32 Now therefore up by night,
of the city heard the words of thou, and the people that is
Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger with thee, and lie in wait in the
was kindled.                      field:
31 And he sent messengers  33 And it shall be, that in the
unto Abimelech privily, saying, morning, as soon as the sun is
Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed, up, thou shalt rise early, and set
speedily remove, dispatch, or make sending them did not correspond with
way with; an emphatic expression, his real object. His'givings out'
implying more in Hebrew than in were far removed from  his'trueEnglish.-Ir He said to Abimelech, meant designs.' If he had discoverIncrease thine army, &c. As we have ed himself to be wholly for Abimeno evidence that Abimelech was lech, the men of the city might at
within hearing of these words, the once have risen against him and put
probability is, that being heated with him  to death.  He therefore goes
wine and puffed up with arrogance, warily to work to acquaint AbimeGaal addresses and defies him, in lech with the enemy's designs, and
this bravado-style, as though actual- to put him in a way to revenge the
ly present. Yet it may be that he insults cast upon them  both.sent word by some of Abimelech's IT They fortify the city against thee.
friends to their master, that he was Heb. Vt"m  tzarim, are besieging,
willing to dispute the point with him, from the root't) tzfir, to besiege, to
allowing him at the same time every press with siege, usually spoken of
advantage on the score of numbers hostile operations carried on by inwhich he could desire.  Let him  vaders from withoit, and not without
gather all his allies, and do his great violence applied to defensive
worst, still he would find the son of measures adopted by those within, a
Ebed more than a match for him.   city.  For this reason the expres30. His anger was kindled. How- sion, we suppose, is to be taken meever he might have felt for his mas- taphorically for the influence exerted
ter's honor, it was scarcely to be ex- by Gaal and his party uzpon the minds
pected that he should pass by the in- of the citizens, in stirring up, exciting,
sult cast upon himself.  It would augmenting the sedition that was
seem, v. 36, that from motives ofpo- spreading through the city.  They
licy he had hitherto tcmporized with were engaged in pressing, xrging,
the disaffected party at Shechem, but instigating the citizens against Abihe now becomes decided, though he melech, and therefore it was importis still restrained from  open mea- ant for him to make haste in advancsures against the insurgents.     ing upon Shechem.
31. Sentmpessengers —privily. Heb.   33. Set utpon the city. We doubt
b'l'h bet&rmih, craftily; in fraud. if this rendering gives the true force
That is, the pretended object of his of the original, or the real policy of




132                       JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1206.
upon the city: and behold, when people that were with him, from
he and the people that is with lying in wait.
him come out against thee, then   36 And when  Gaal saw  the
mayest thou do to them as thou  people, he said to Zebul, Beshalt find occasion.             hold, there come people down
34 IT And Abimelech rose up, from the top of the mountains.
and all the people that were with And Zebul said unto him, Thou
him, by night, and they laid wait seest the shadow of the mounagainst Shechem in four compa- tains as if they were men.
nies.                              37 And Gaal spake again, and
35 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, See, there come people
went out, and stood in the en- down by the middle of the land,
tering of the gate of the city: and  another  company  come.
and Abimelech rose up, and the along by the plain of Meonenim.
Abimelech.  He does not seem  to   35. Gaal went out-and stood at
have designed, at least at present, to the entering of the gate. Probably
attack the city while Gaal was in it. not alone, but at the head of his
He even abstained from  this after forces, either to lead them forth upon
he had overcome him in the open some short excursion about the city,
field, and when nothing that we can or to be prepared for whatever assee prevented his pushing his con- sault mightbe meditated against him.
quest into the heart of Shechem, v.' Had he been as valiant as he was
40. But the true import of the word vigilant, it might have gone better
is to spread one's self, to expand, and with him and his partisans.' Trapp.
the phrase may be rendered,'spread   36. He said to Zebul, Behold, &c.
thyself (thy forces) against or to- The familiarity existing between
wards the city,' i. e. with a view to these two individuals, under their
lure out Gaal to an engagement in present circumstances, shows very
the open field.-  As thou shaltfind clearly that Zebul had hitherto disocr;:sion. Heb.' as thine hand shall sembled his real sentiments and purfind;' an Hebraism, properly ren- poses.  It is not possible otherwise
dered in our translation.  Comp. 1 to account for such an interview at
Sam. 10. 7, where the same phrase this time between parties so related
occurs.                            37. By the middle of the land. Heb.
34. Abimelech rose up. Addressed  W'ob t1 O t.Vh/ mlim tabbur hi.
himself to the matter before him, en- &tretz, from  the navel of the land.
tered upon the business in hand. That is, as Gesenius and other lexi.
See on Josh. 1. 2.               cographers explain it, from the height,
34. Laid wait.  Probably in some the most elevated summqit, of the land.
of the mountains in the immediate — TBy the plain of Meonenim. Or,
vicinity, as is to be inferred from v. Heb.  II1'1) q~)E'1t middereh
36.- T In four companies. Heb. elan meonedim, by the way of the oat
swamR  n-Y'X aarbhah raishim, in of the augnzrers, or regarders of times;
four heads; a term  applied to the probably a tree or cluster of trees:eneral divisions of anything.'where superstitious auguries were




B. C. 1206.J            CHAPTER  IX.                          133
38 Then said Zebul unto him, and he fled before him, and many
Where is now thy mouth,where- were overthrown, and wounded,
with thou fsaidst, Who is Abi- even unto  the entering of the
melech, that we should serve gate.
him? is not this the people that  41 And Abimelech dwelt at
thou hast despised? go out, I Arumah: and Zebul thrust out
pray now, and fight with them. Gaal and his brethren, that they
39 And Gaal went out before should not dwell in Shechem.
the men of Shechem, and fought  42 And it came to pass on the
with Abimelech.                  morrow, that the people went
40 And Abimelech chased him, out into the field; and they told
f ver. 28, 29.         Abimelech.
performed, or where certain sooth- words, it would seem, are not to be
sayers dwelt.                    taken as indicating a violent expul38. Wjhere is now thy mouqth, &c. sion. For if Zebul and his party had
Where is now thy boasting, thy vain obtained a complete ascendency in
bravado, of which thou wert lately the city, why did they not at once
so profuse?  Does thy courage be- deliver up Gaal and' his faction to
gin to quail upon the bare sight of Abimelech, and receive him within
the enemy?  In proportion as Abi- the walls q  The fact undoubtedly
melech approached, Zebul begins to was, that n6twithstanding the recent
speak with  more effrontery, and defeat, the crafty Zebul saw that
throw off his disguise, though his Abimelech's interest in the city was
words still had the air of merely ex- not strong enough to justify him in
citing Gaal to go forth like a man completely throwing off the mask,
and redeem the pledge he had before and he accordingly went to work,
given.  Gaal thus had proof that like a skilful master of intrigue, to
those who are rebels themselves undermine Gaal in the affections of
must not expect fidelity in their asso- the people, by hypocritically griev
ciates.                          ing over the recent disaster, and per39. And Gala went out, &c. The suading them that it was owing to
only becoming answer to such cut- the cowardice and bad management
ting taunts and sarcasms was to sally of their leader. This is the account
boldly forth against the enemy. But Josephus gives of the matter, and we
the special hand of God was in the think the correct one. The conseevent for his punishment.'Where quence was, that Gaal made an iginiquity breakfasts, calamity will be nominious exit from the city, and we
sure to dine.' Tqrapp.           hear no more of himn.
41. Abinwelech dwelt in Arumah.   42. The people went out into the
Heb. t2'1[q2 =1-t ytsheb blr'umah, field. To follow their usual employsat down in Ar'umah. He retired ments.  As Abimelech had withhither for the present with his army, drawn his forces, they issued forth,
still cherishing the design of gaining not dreaming but they were entirely
farther advantages.-~ Zebul th/rust secure.  But the wrath of a king
oet Gaal and his brethren. These does not so easily subside. —r  They




134                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1206.
43 And he took the people, upon all the people that were in
and- divided  them  into  three the fields, and slew them.
companies, and laid wait in the   45  And  Abimelech   fought
field, and looked, and behold, against the city all that day;
the people were come forth out and ghe took the city, and slew
of the city; and he rose up the people that was therein, and
against them, aud smote them. h beat down the city, and sowed
44 And Abimelech, and  the it with salt.
company  that was with  him,  46 IT And when all the men
rushed forward, and stood in the of the tower of Shechem heard
entering of the gate of the city':  ver. 20. 1, Deut. 29. 23. 1 Kings 12. 25
and the two other companies ran 2 Kings 3.25.
told Abimelech.  A  Hebrew idiom,   45. Took the city, &c.  Though
for' it was told to Abimelech.'  the city of his nativity, yet he fell
43. And Ale took thepeople, &c. We upon in with merciless barbarity, laid
prefer to render this in the pluperfect, it in ruins, by beating down its walls'for he had taken,' &c., as it seems and buildings, and slew all the infar less likely that he should set an habitants! His sowing it with salt,
ambush, while the people were al- was in token that he designed it to
ready in the field, and could easily become a perpetual desolation. The
discover all his movements.  More- salt was not intended to render it balrover, the last clause of the verse as ren, for a town or city is not designed
read in the original,'behold, the for culture, but for building; but as
people coming forth,' plainly shows salt is an emblem of incorruzption and
that their egress from the city took perpetuity, it was employed to per'
place after the ambush was laid.    petuate the memory of this transac44. And Abimelech and thecompany tion. By comparing Deut. 29. 33, it
that was with him, &c. This verse would appear that there was an alludetails in a more particular manner sion in the act to the destruction of
the circumstance of the' smiting,' Sodom and Gomorrah.  Yet all his
mentioned above, and at the same efforts did not avail to make its detime anticipates the question, why solation permanent, for it was afterthe people attacked did not at once wards rebuilt, and became so conbetake themselves to the city. Be- siderable a place that all Israel recause, says the narrative, Abimnelech sorted thither to make Rehoboam
with a strong detachment interposed king, 1 Kings 12. 1.
himself, and cut off the communica-   46. The men of the tower of Sh.echem.
tion between themn and the city, that Ileb. LT'1~7  DOSS baalb migdol, the
they might neither make their retreat lords or masters of the tower.  How
within the walls, nor receive any suc- these persons wele distinguished from
cors from thence.' When we go out the other inhabitants of Shechem,
about our business, we are not sure or how this tower stood related to
that we shall come home again; there the city, it is extremely difficult to
are deaths both in the city and in the determine. It is not unlikely that it
field.' Henry.                    was a castle belonging to the city




B.C.  1206.J            CHAPTER  IX.                          135
that, they entered into an hold cut down every man his bough,
of the house i of the god Berith. and followed Abimelech, and put
47 And it was told Abimelech, them  to the hold, and set the
that all the men of the tower of hold on fire upon them: so that
Shechem  were gathered toge- all the men of the tower of Shether.                            chem  died also, about a thou48 And Abimelech gat him up sand men and women.
to mount kZalmon, he and all  50 IT Then went Abimelech to
the people that were with hin; Thebez, and encamped against
and Abimelech took an axe in Thebez, and took it.
his hand, and cut down a bough   51 But there was  a strong
from the trees, and took it, and tower within the city, and thithlaid it on his shoulder, and said erflied all the men and women,
unto the people that were with and all they of the city, and shut
him, What ye have seen me do, it to them, and gat them  up to,
make haste, and do as I have the top of the tower.
done.                             52 And Abimelech came unto
49 And all the people likewise the tower, and fought against it,
i ch. 8.33. k Ps, 68. 14.
and situated in its vicinity, to which the forests with which it was covera considerable portion of the popula- ed. See Ps. 68. 15.
tion had previously betaken them-   50. Encampedagainst Thebezx. A
selves to escape the fury of their in- city of Ephraim in the neighborhood
vader.  Whatever it were, it was of Shechem, and about thirteen miles
now deemed too insecure an asylum  west from  Bethshan (Scythopolis).
to trust to, and its occupants with- According to Eusebius and Jerome,
drew to a strong-hold in the precincts it continued till their time, or to
of the temple, where they promised about four hundred years after Christ,
themselves safety if not from its but at the present day it has wholly
strength, at least from its sacredness. disappeared.
But in putting themselves under the   51. A str'ong tower within the city.
protection of their idol, that which Doubtless a sort of citadel such as
they hoped would have been for their exists in most considerable towns in
welfare, proved to them a snare and western Asia, and which serves the
a trap. It is highly probable that this people as a last retreat when the town
was no other than the place called, is taken by an enemy, and where the
v. 6,' the house of Millo,' which was people shut themselves up on occato be involved in the catastrophe sions of popular tumult. In some
predicted in Jotham's curse, v. 20, parts of the East, such towers are to
an event most strikingly accomplish- be seen in the open country, where
ed when the place was set on fire by the neighboring peasantry may deAbimelech.                       posit their more valuable property,
48. Mount Zalmon. A mountain or themselves take refuge, when the
in the vicinity of Shechem, so called approach of an enemy or of a. plunfrom the abundant shade caused by dering tribe is expected.




136                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1206
and went hard unto the door of slew him.  And his young man
the tower to burn it with fire.   thrust him through, and he died.
53 And a certain woman Icast  55 And when the men of Isa piece of a millstone upon Abi- rael saw  that Abimelech was
melech's head, and all to break  dead, they departed every man
his skull.                        unto his place.
54 Then   he  called  hastily   56 If nThus God rendered the
unto the young man his armor- wickedness of Abimelech, which
bearer, and said unto him, Draw  he did unto his father, in slaythy sword, and slay me, that ing his seventy brethren:
men say not of me, A woman
men say not of mver. 24. Job 31. 3. Ps. 94. 23. Prov.
12 Sam. 11. 21. m So 1 Sam. 31. 4.   5. 22.
53. Apiece of a millstone. Literally, common version, have changed it to
a piece of a chariot-wheel,' but else- indicate intention, by substituting
where applied to upper-millstones.-'break,' for'brake.'
~TAnd all to break Ihis skull. In near-   54. Andhe died. Abimelech's dely all the copies of the English Bible vice to avoid the disgrace of perishprinted in England, the verb appears ing by the hands of a woman, availin the past tense,'brake,' whereas in ed him little, for nearly three centuall or nearly all the American edi- ries afterwards we find his death astions the word is'break,' as in the cribed to the woman who threw the
text above. The former reading is piece of millstone from the wall, 2
certainly the correct one. The error Sam. 11. 21.'There now lies the
in our editions has arisen from a mis- greatness of Abimelech; on one stone
apprehension of the true meaning of he had slain his seventy brethren and
the phrase' all to.' According to the now a stone slays him; his head had
present use of language, this would stolen the crown of Israel, and now
seem rather to express intention than his head is smitten.  O the just sucthe result of action, but it really ex- cession of the revenges of God! Gidpresses the latter.'All to,' in many eon's ephod is punished with the
of the old English writers, means blood of his sons; the blood of his'altogether,''entirely,' or as Johnson sons is shed by the procurement of
says, is used,'as a particle of mere the Shechemites; the blood of the
enforcement;' and so doubtless it is Shechemites is shed by Abimelech;
used here; q. d.' she entirely or ut- the blood of Abimelech is spilt by a
terly brake hisskull.' Thusin Hol- woman.  The retaliations of God
land's Translation of Pliny, (A. D. are sure and just, and make a more
1601,)'As for him  that hath let due pedigree than descent of nature.'
flie a dart at him, (the lion,) and yet Bp. Hall.
missed his marke and done no hurt,  56. Rendered the wickedness.  Reif hee chance to catch him, he all to quited, recompensed the wickedness.
shaketh, tosseth, and turneth him, ly- Both the fratricide Abimelech and
ing along at his feet, but doth him  the unprincipled men of Shechem,
no harme at all besides.' NTot under- had the iniquity visited upon them of
standing this, many copies of the which they had been guilty.  Man's




13. C. 1206.]            CHAPTER  X.                           137
57 And all the evil of the men he dwelt in Shamir in mount
of Shechem did God render upon Ephraim.
their heads: and upon them   2 And he judged Israel twenty
came ~the curse of Jotham  the and three years, and died, and
son of Jerubbaal.                 was buried in Shamir.
3 ~F And after him arose Jair,
CHAPTER  X.               a Gileadite, and judged Israel
1ND  after Abimelech there twenty and two years.
a arose to defend Israel, To-  4 And he had thirty sons that
la the son of Puah, the son of brode on thirty ass colts, and
Dodo, a man of Issachar; and they had thirty cities,  which
o ver. 20. a ch. 2. 16.     b ch. 5. 10, and 12.14. c Deut. 3. 14.
judgment may be avoided, but there maintaining union, guardingagainst
is no escaping from the judgment of idolatry, and prepared at all times to
God. The recorded end of Abime- take the field in their defence. —lech suggests the remark, (1) That STDwoeltinShanzir, in mountEphraim.
they who thirst for blood, God will Though of the tribe of Issachar, yet
at last give them their own blood to when raised to the government, he
drink. (2) The weak in God's hand came and dwelt in mount Ephraim,
can confound the mighty, and those as being a more central station, one
who walk in pride, he is able to to which the people niight more conabase. (3) They who in life consult- veniently resort for judgment.
ed only their pride and ambition, will  4. Thir'ty sons that r'ode on thirty
usually die as they live, more solicit- ass colts, &c.  A very remarkable
ous that their honor should be pre- indication of eastern manners, and
served on earth, than that their souls of the state of the times. It seems
be saved from hell. (4) The methods that the people so generally went
proud men take to secure a great about on foot, that to ride on an ass,
name, often only serve to perpetuate that is, to ride at all, was considered
their infamy.                     a mark of wealth and distinction. So
we afterwards read of Abdon, another
CHAPTER  X.              judge, ch. 12. 14, that' he had forty
1. Arose to defend.  Heb. ~1~  sons and thirty nephews, that rode on
ewn,5 yoakom lelboshia, arose to save threescore and ten ass colts.' No
or deliver'. To sustain the office and doubt this conveyed to the ancient
act the part of a savior or deliverer, Hebrews the idea of as much conin case it should be necessary. They sideration as it does among us to say,
were now freed from the tyranny of that a person keeps a carriage.  JoAbimelech, and as far as appears en- sephus, perhaps from thinking the
joyed prevailing peace, yet they were indication undignified, changes the
still liable to annoyance and incur- asses to horses. —    Thirty citiessions from the neighboring powers, called Havoth-jair unto this day.
and it was fitting that they should Heb.'villages of Jair.' We read
have a head to preside over their con- in Num. 32 41, that'Jair the so~ of
cerns, repressing internal discords, Manasseh went and took the small
12*




138                          JUDGES.                  [B. C. 1161
are called Havoth-jair unto this forsook the LORD, and served
day, which are in the land of not him.
Gilead.                             7 And the anger of the LORD
5 And Jair died, and was buried  was hot against Israel, and he
in Camon.                          hsold them into the hands of the
6 1F And dthe children of Israel Philistines, and into the hands
did evil again in the sight of the  of the children of Ammon.
LORD, and e served Baalim, and   8 And that year they vexed
Ashtaroth, and fthe gods of Sy- and oppressed the children of
ria, and the gods of gZidon, and  Israel eighteen years, all the
the gods of Moab, and the gods children of Israel that were on
of the children of Ammon, and  the  other side Jordan  in  the
the gods of the Philistines, and land of the Amorites, which is
in Gilead.
d ch. 2. 11, and 3. 7, and 4. 1, and 6. 1, and
13. 1. e oh. 2. 13. f ch. 2. 12. g 1 Kings 11.
33. Ps. 106. 36.                          h oh. 2. 14. i Sam. 12. 9.
towns thereof, and called them Ha- soon come entirely to forsake God,
voth-jair,' from  which some have and to serve mammon only. If God
supposed that the Jair there mention- have not alj the heart he will soon
ed is the same person with the judge have none of it.' Heenry.
spoken of in the passage before us.   7. And he sold them. See on ch. 2.
But the former was doubtless the an- 14.-~Into t]he hands of the Philiscestor of the latter, though the names tines and —of Ammon. The one on
of the villages in question were re- the west, the other on the east; so
tained unaltered from  the original that they were grievously annoyed
possessor.  Their number, as we on both sides.
learn from 1 Chron. 2. 22, was at first   8. That year they vexed and op.
only twenty-three, but the remaining pressed the children of Israel eighteen
seven were added in process of time. years. We know not what sense to
The circumstance affords evidence make of this clause as it now stands,
of the rank and opulence of the fa- which seems to bring an oppression
mily.                              of eighteen years' continuance within
6. Did evil again.  Heb. bl'~e  the space of one year, Probably the
i'm [n1lv)7 yosipiht  laasoth hdira, solution is to render the verbs in the
added to do evil. The defection here pluperfect,' and that year they had
mentioned  was undoubtedly very vexed and oppressed them eighteen
gross and of aggravated enormity. years;' i. e. that year completed the
They became in a sense universal period of eighteen years, during
idolators, adopting all the gods of the which they had proved a scourge to
surroundingnations. They scarcely  them.  The oppression commenced
seemed to have admitted the God of during the administration of Jair,
Israel as one of the many deities they perhaps nearly at the same time
worshipped, but to have cast him off  with the apostasy which caused it,
altogether.' Those that think to and at the time of his death, had conserve both God and mammon, will tinnued eighteen years.  This last




B. C. 1161.]             CHAPTER  X.                            139
9 Moreover, the children of cried unto the LORD, saying,
Ammon passed over Jordan, to We have sinned against thee,
fight also  against Judah, and both because we have forsaken
against Benjamin, and  against our God, and also served Baalim.
the house of Ephraim: so that  11 And the LORD said unto the
Israel was sore distressed.       children of Israel, Did not I de10 T i And the children of Israel          i 1 Sam. 12. 10.
event, though occurring after the nations upon them to chastise them
apostasy commenced, is mentioned for their apostasy.'
before it by prolepsis or anticipation,   9. The children of Amo~n passed
than which nothing is more fre- over Jordan. The Philistines proquent in the sacred writers.  The bably harrassed the children of Israel
terms employedin the original to in- in the south of Canaan, west of the
dicate the severity of the oppression Jordan; and the Ammonites the two
are very expressive. They import tribes and a half to the east of that
crushing and breaking to pieces, a river. The spirit of conquest or of
metaphor apparently drawn from the aggression, however, soon led the lataction of two mill-stones upon the ter to cross the Jordan. It seemsprosubstance placed between them, to bable that they rather vexed and diswhich Henry strikingly compares tressed the transJordanic tribes, than
the condition of the Israelites at this kept them in entire subjection; and
time under the grinding oppression afterwards extended their incursions
of the two hostile powers on either to tile west of the Jordan.  They
side of them, the Ammonites and the were justly punishedby the Amorites,
Philistines. Another remark of the for they had so utterly degenerated
samle commentator respecting this and conformed to theirheathenneighapostasy of Israel is well worthy of bors, that Ezekiel, in addressing the
insertion here.' God had appointed Israelitish nation, ch. 16. 3, says by
that if any of the cities of Israel a bold figure,'Thy father was an
should revolt to idolatry, the rest Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.'
should mnake war upon them and cut   10. Both because we have forsaken,
them off, Dent. 13. 12, et infr. They &c. They specify distinctly the two
had been jealous enough in this mat- forms of their transgression; first, in
ter, almost to an extreme, in the case departing wickedly from God, secof the altar set up by the two tribes ondly, in serving idols.  Under the
and a half, Josh. 22, but now they are deep impression of their guilt in this
grown so very bad, that when one city conduct, they made good the words
was infected with idolatry, the next of the prophet, Is. 26. 16,' Lord, in
took the infection, and, instead of trouble have they visited thee; they
punishing, imitated and outdid it; poured out a prayer when thy chasand therefore since they that should tening was upon them.' The first
have been revengers to execute wrath step of a sinner's return to God is the
upon them that did this evil, were discovery of his own great guilt, and
themselves guilty, or bare the sword a sense of his deserved ruin, and this
in vain, God brought the neighboring  in order to be available must be ac



140                         JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1161
liver you k from the Egyptians,  14 Go and s cry unto the gods
and'from  the Amorites, mfrom  which ye have chosen; let them
the children  of Ammon  nand deliver you in the time of your
from the Philistines?             tribulation.
12 ~The Zidonians also   and   15 IT And the children of Isthe Amalekites, and the Mao- rael said  unto the  LORD) We
nites q did oppress you; and ye have sinned: tdo thou unto us
cried to me, and I delivered you whatsoever seemeth good unto
out of their hand.                 thee; deliver us only, we pray
13 r Yet ye have forsaken me, thee, this day.
and serVd other gods: where-   16 UAnd they put away the
fore I will deliver you no more. strange gods from  among them,
kEx. 14.30. 1Num. 21.21, 24, 25. mch.
3. 12,13..  ch. 3.31. o ch. 5.19. pch. 6.     Deut. 32.37,38. 2 Kings 3. 13, Jer. 2.28.
3. cl Ps. 106. 42, 43. r Deut. 32. 15. Jer. t 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Sam. 15. 26. u 2 Chron.
2. 13.                             7. 14, and 15. 8. Jer. 18. 7, 8.
companied with the most sincere and weakness of these lying vanities.
penitent acknowledgment of his ag- Yet the emphatic declaration,'I will
gravated offences.                 deliver you no more,' is to be under11. And the Lord said, &c. In what stood conditionally, in case their idols
manner these reproofs were conveyed were kept among them; for the dito the Israelites, we are not informed. vine threatenings always imply a reIt was probably through the medium  serve of mercy to the truly penitent.
of some inspired prophet, or of the (1) If God appears to frown upon the
high priest, whose duty it was to returning sinner, let him not despair;
learn the will of heaven in all trying it is no more than his desert, indeed,
emergencies.                       if he be utterly rejected; but with the
14. Go and cr'y unto thegods which Lord there is mercy and forgiveness,
ye have chosen. Which ye have not and a heart of overwhelming kindserved upon - compulsion, but which ness is sometimes temporarily conye have freely and voluntarily cho- cealed by an aspect of wrath. (2)
sen.  The Most High does not turn When we are brought to a real sense
away his ear from their prayers, nor of our sins, we shall see the vanity
sink them  in utter despair, yet he and insufficiency of those things to
sendsa sharp and upbraiding answer, make us either safe or happy, in
of which the immediate effect would which wre formerly trusted.
be to awaken their consciences, and    16. Tlhey put awoay the strange gods.
confound them under a sense of their Heb.')r=   q51  elohe hannhkar, the
oaseness and ingratitude. Many a gods qf the stranger. In coming betime they had been delivered and fore God not only is every excuse for
those very oppressors subdued under sin to be renounced, and the plea of
themn; yet they had vilely sinned gu ilty, guilty, sincerely to be made,
against their own mercies. He there- but if we would approve our repentfore refers them for help to the gods  ance real, the sins we confess are
whom  they had served, to rebuke instantly to be discarded.  When.
their folly and convince them of the this is the case, and our transgres



B. C. 1161.]           CHAPTER  XI.                           141
and served the LORD: and Xhis of Gilead said one to another,
soul was grieved for the misery  What man is he that will begin
of Israel.                        to fight against the children of
17 Then the children of Am- Ammon? he shall  be head over
mon were  gathered together, all the inhabitants of Gilead?
and encamped in Gilead. And
the children of Israel assembled         CHAPTER  XI.
themselves together, and  en- N OW  aJephthah the Gileadcamped in Y Mizpeh.               l    ite was b a mighty man of
18 And the people and princes valor, and he was the son of an
x Ps. 106. 44,45. Isai. 63. 9. y ch. 11.11,  z ch. 11. 8. 11. a Heb. 11. 32, called
29. Gen. 31. 49.                  Jephthae. b ch. 6. 12. 2 Kings 5. 1.
sions are truly our bitterness and bur- tzhakhz, weere cried together; were
den, though we may stand trembling convened by means of criers, sent
under the black review, yet there is over the country in every direction,
hope. —~His soul was grieved. Not to stir up all the enemies of Israel.
that there is really any grief in God, --   Encamped in Mizpeh. There
for being infinitely happy in himself, were several places of this name, but
he is inaccessible to any such emo- as the war here described was waged
tion; but it is spoken after the man- on the east of the Jordan, the Mizpeh
ner of men, to represent to us more alluded to in the text was undoubtforcibly the abounding compassions edly that in the trans-Jordanic halfof his heart. He acted towards his tribe of Manasseh, and of which an
people like one who felt for their account is given, Josh. 11. 3.
sufferings, like a kind father, who   18. The people and the princes said.
cannot but be grieved over the afflic- Heb. VI~  i/zi htam sarim, the peotions of his children. He had pity ple, th.eprinces said; indicating, by a
upon them, restraining his severities, remarkable phraseology, how closely
and giving anew and merciful com- related, not to say identified, were
plexion to his dispensations towards the people and the r'ulersamong these
them. The Heb. is'shortened, con- eastern tribes. Though the nominal
tracted, straitened;' a term express- distinction existed, yet the interests of
ive of a state of mind the opposite of each were so completely the same,
equanimity, long-suffering, forbear- that their respective denominations
ance; implying at once a sympathy are as it were merged in each other.
with suffering, and a kind of im- How different the spectacle presented
patience in redressing it. How con- by the governments of nearly every
soling the thought that no prodigal European nation for the last two
returns to God but his paternal heart thousand years, and continued to the
yearns over him, touched with a present day!-1r  Shall be head, &c.
feeling of his wretchedness, and Shall not only take the conduct of
ready to embrace the most miserable the present war, but when the war is
of sinners.                       over shall, as a reward for his ser17. The children of Amnmon were vices, be continued as the governing
gathered together. Heb.'1~.2V yitz- head of this people.  This verse




142                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1161
harlot: and Gilead begat Jeph- thah, and said unto him, Thor
thah.                             shalt not inherit in our father's
2 And Gilead's wife bare him  house; for thou art the son of a
sons; and his wife's sons grew  strange woman.
up, and they thrust out Jephcomes in here as an introduction to cient to cover all disgrace in Jephthe following narrative.          thah's origin. His extraction, however, whatever it was, was the fault
CHAPTER  XI.              and disgrace of his parents rather
1. Now  Jephthah]t-was a migghtty than of himself, and a man should
man of valor. More properly per- not be reproached with the unhappihaps,' had become.' The original ness of his birth, when his own contP'  hAeyAh, is not merely a verb of duct bespeaks him deserving a more
existence, but denotes the transition of honorable relation.-.T Gilead begat
its subject, from one state to another. Jephthah. One of the descendants of
When its meaning is simply'is,' the Gilead mentioned Num. 32. 1;
or'was,' it is almost invariably omit- Josh. 17. 1, 3, and bearing his name.
ted in the original. Here, however, To what tribe he belonged is not cerit is inserted, and probably hints at tain, but probably that of Manasseh
the process by which Jephthah had beyond the Jordan. 1 Chron. 7. 14.
gradually become distinguished.-   2. Gilead's wife. His lawful wife,
~ The son ofan harlot. Heb. 1la1  1IMN in contradistinction from Jephthah's
ish&ha zonth, a woman, a harlot. Not mother.-.r  Thoou shalt not inherit,
begotten in lawful wedlock.  The &c. That he was not entitled to share
Jewish commentators, for the most in the inheritance was a matter of
part, give a softening exposition of course, for even the children of the
the term here employed, as if it im- lawful secondary wife or concubine
ported merely a concubine, or a gen- were not admitted to this privilege,
tile, i. e. a foreign or strange woman, Gen. 21. 10, and 25. 6, much less the
not one of the Israelitish race, as she issue of such an illicit connexion as
is termed in v. 2. But without doing that in question. ButJephthah'sbrethviolence to its ordinary and most le- ren were probably actuated by some
gitimate sense, we know not how to secret motive of jealousy or envy,
depart from the rendering of the text. which they would fain conceal by
At the same time, it is to be observed, the plea of illegitimacy and outlawry
that our limited knowledge of the here advanced; for it does not apactual state of manners and society pear that his expulsion from his fain those ancient periods, prevents us ther's house was necessary simply on
from  affirming, that the word con- this account. At any rate, he eviveys precisely the idea of public ad- dently regarded it as a gross outrage
dictedness to degrading vice, which upon his rights, v. 7, and one which
its modern acceptation imports. It the elders and magistrates of the city
mayhave indicated a character some- connived at and abetted. The prewhat less vile and iniquitous, but the tence of legal right is often a mere
ambiguity of the term  is not suffi- cover to the foulest wrongs and in



B. C. 1161.]             CHAPTER  XI.                            143
3 Then Jephthah fled from his   4 IT And it came to pass in
brethren, and dwelt in the land  process of time, that the childof Tob: and there were gather- ren of Ammon made war against
ed  vain men to Jephthah, and israel.
went out with hin.                        o ch. 9. 4. 1 Sam. 22. 2.
juries.- 9   Of a str'ange woman. retaliate the incursions which the
Hleb.  la rle nl W  ishAih ahereth, of latter made into Israel; and Jephc,notther woman. That is, other than thah's success or skill in these freenis lawful wife, and probably a for- booting expeditions acquired him so
eigner. See on Ex. 1. 8; Deut. 29. much reputation, that the people
26; Jer. 22. 26.                   would naturally be led to look to him
3. Fled from  his brethren. Heb. when they wanted a military leader.
Irq ~>=   mippene ahanv, from the The mode of life here indicated, is
face of his brethren.-~- In the land precisely that which was followed by
of'ob. A region so called perhaps David, when his reputation brought
from the name of the individual who around him men of similar character
was its first or most distinguished in- to these fbllowers of Jephthah. This
habitant. Its precise locality is not kind of military robbery is far from
known, but from the facility of com- being considered dishonorable in the
munication it was doubtless in the East. On the contrary, the fame thus
near vicinity of Gilead.  Comp. 2 acquired is thought as fair as any
Sam. 10. 6, 8.-~  Were gathered that can be obtained through any
vain men to Jephthah, and went out class of military operations.  An
with him. Heb. t2~R i'ti 3 rY'kim  Arab or Tartar desires no higher or
anAshim, emplty men; that is, idle, brighter distinction than that of a
worthless, profligate men, a lawless successful military robber; and to
rabble. The original Vlj'D  is a term  make that fame unsullied, it is only
of great reproach, being the same necessary that his expedition should
with'Raca,' in the New Testament. not be against his own nation or tribe.
The meaning evidently is, that Jeph-   4. 7'he childr-en of Ammoan made
thah, being without any inheritance war against Israel.  Or, perhaps
or family connexions to afford him  more properly,' had made war,' and
a subsistence, and being expelled  were now encamped in Gilead. We
from his native place, became an ad- are here carried back in point of
venturer, and his character having' time to the period mentioned ch. 10.
brought around him  a number of 17, the historian having returned
brave but idle men, perhaps similarly from his digresssion concerning the
circumstanced, he made predatory parentage and early life of Jephthah.
inc(ursions into the neighboringcoun- The words' in process of time,'
tries. This is what is meant by'go- Heb.'after days,' probably refer to
ing out with him,' a phrase frequent- the period immediately antecedent
ly applied to warlike and plundering to the expulsion of Jephthah. Many
inroads upon an enemy's territory. days after he had been thrust out in
Probably they went out particularly disgrace, he was brought back again
into the land o)f the Ammonites, to with honor.




144                        JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1161.
5 And it was so, that when the hate me, and expel me out of
children of Ammon made war my father's house? and why are
against Israel, the  elders of ye come unto me now when ye
Gilead went to fetch Jephthah are in distress?
out of the land of Tob:            8 eAnd the elders of Gilead
6 And they said unto Jephthah, said unto Jephthah, Therefore
Come, and be our captain, that we fturn again to thee now, that
we may fight with the children thou mayest go with us, and
of Ammon.                         fight against the children of Am7 And Jephthah said unto the mon, and be g our head over all
elders of Gilead, dDid not ye the inhabitants of Gilead.
d Gen. 26.27.          e ch. 10. 18. f Luke 17.4. g ch. 10. 18.
5. Went to fetch Jephthlah.  Heb. right, really do them wrong.' Henry.
hnt5 lalkahath, to take; that is, to -IT W/hy are ye come unto me now
persuade to go. See Note on Josh. when ye are in distress?  Not that
24. 3, and on Gen. 2. 15. This was Jephthah was unwilling to save his
undoubtedly with the approbation, country, but he thought fit to give
if not with the express direction of them a hint of their former unkindJehovah.                          ness, that they might repent of it, and
6. Come, and be our captain. The in future be more sensible of their
manner in which God overrules the obligations. Thus Joseph humbled
ill-meant actions of men to the fur- his brethren before he made himself
therance of his designs is here very known to them. The same language
observable. If Jephthah had notbeen, too may be applied by Christ to imas he was, the object of his brethren's penitent sinners, who after doing what
unkindness, he had lost the opportu- in them lies to expel the Saviour from
nity to exercise and improve his mar- his inheritance in their own hearts,
tial genius, and so failed to signalize in the church, and in the world, still
himself in the eyes of his country- fly to him  and supplicate him for
men. So it often happens that the succor in the day of their distress.
providences which are, to appear-   8. Therefore we ti'rn again unto
ance, our greatest misfortune, are thee. This cannot be meant of a
necessary to fit us for the work for local turning orreturnin to Jephthah,
which God designs us.             for the words were obviously spoken
7. Did ye not hate me and expel me, at the first interview, from which
&c. Though the act of his expul- they had not yet retired. The phrase
sion was primarily that of Jephthah's doubtless has reference to a change
brethren, yet these elders had either of mind, a turning again in the state
actively aided in it, or by forbearing of their feelings towards him. It is
to prevent or punish the injury, had as if they had said,' We are convirtually made themselves partakers vinced thatwe have done thee wrong,
in the guilt of it; and with this he and that thou hast just ground of
plainly charges them.' Magistrates complaint; but we renounce the feelthat have power to protect those that ings we have formerly cherished,
are injured, if they dQ not do them  and we now come to acknowledge




B. C. 1161.]            CHAPTER  XI.                           145
9 And Jephthah said unto the   10 And the elders of Gilead
elders of Gilead, If ye bring me said unto Jephthah, h The LORD
home again to fight against the be witness between us,'if we do
children of Amtnon, and the not so according to thy words.
LORD deliver them  before me,  11 Then Jephthah went with
shall I be your head?                        h Jer. 42. 5.
our fault and to make thee full repa- afterwards there may be no room for
ration. As a proof of our sincerity subterfuge or evasion. As the serwe proffer thee this honor, which vice before him was one in which he
shall counterbalance the dishonor would naturally endanger his life, he
we have put upon thee.' The incident deems it right that he should be duly
may serve to remind us, (1) That rewarded, especially as he seems to
the least we can do when we have have thought it was only in this way
injured a fellow-being, is to confess that he could effectually secure himfrankly our wrong, and ask his par- self against the treacherous designs
don.  (2) That we should beware of his brethren, whose ill will and
of despising or trampling upon any injuries he had once experienced.
man, so as to make him our enemy, That there might also have been
for we know not how much need we some tincture of ambition insinuatmay have of his friendship and ser- ing itself into his motives, is perhaps
vices before we die. (3) That men not improbable. The spirit of pious
of worth who are undervalued; dis- dependence, however, on the divine
paraged, and ill-treated, should bear blessing, argues strongly in favor of
it with meekness and cheerfulness, his general spirit. He does not speak
leaving it to God to vindicate their with confidence of his success, but
good name in his own way. Their qualifies it with a peradventure —' if
judgment shall finally come forth the Lord deliver them before me,'-.
as the noon-day.                  as if intending to remind his coun9. If ye bring me home again. If trymen, to look up to God, as he himye recal me from the place where I self did, as the giver of victory.
am  now fixed, to the place from    10. T/he Lord be witness between uts.
whence I was expelled.-I —-   Sall I Heb. V'Mnl:= a1. shomaa benothenu,
be your head? Not only your leader be the hearer between us. They conin this war, but permanent judge and firm their promise by the solemnity
chief magistrate.  Having- to deal of an oath, appealing to God's omwith persons whom he had reason niscience as the judge of their preto distrust, he determines to bind sent sincerity, and to his justice as an
them to their compact by the most avenger, if they should afterwards
unequivocal assurances.'Jephthah's prove false to their engagements.
wisdom had not been answerable to'Whatever we speak, it concerns us
his valor, if he had not made his match to remember that God is a hearer,
beforehand. He bargains therefore and to speak accordingly.' Henry.
for his sovereignty ere he wins it.'  11. Then Jephthahl went with the
Bp. Hall. In all our agreements it elders. Thus evincing a generous
LS well to be explicit and solemn, that forgetfulness of all their previous
13




146                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1143.
the elders of Gilead, and the sengers unto the king  of the
people made him  head and cap- children  of  Ammon, saying,
tain over them: and Jephthah  What hast thou to do with me,
uttered all his words kbefore the that thou art come against me
LORD in Mizpeh.                   to fight in my land?
12'IT And Jephthah sent mes-   13 And the king of the childi ver. 8. k ch. 10. 17, and 20. 1. 1 Sam. ren of Ammon answered unto
10. 17, and 11. 15.               the  messengers  of Jephthah,
wrongs and Indignities. No injuries which was, not to make, war with
should make usimplacable; we must nations out of Canaan, till messenforgive as we hope to be forgiven. gers had been sent with proposals of
----  And Jephthah uttered all his peace. Though a mighty man of
words before the Lord in Mizpeh. Or, valor, yet he delighted not in war for
Heb.'for Jephthah uttered all his its own sake, and was desirous, if
words,' &c. That is, all the words possible, to prevent the effusion of
pertaining to the solemn compact bloodbya peaceable accommodation.
which had now been entered into. How vastly different this from  the
The words seem  to be inserted to spirit of most military chieftains!
explain how it was that the people, as They are glad to seize upon any,
affirmed in the preceding clause, even the slightest pretexts for an apmade him head and captain over peal to arms. But here, though the
them.  The arrangement had first newly  elected  captain  of Israel
been concluded upon at Gilead be- might, perhaps, have been justified in
tween Jephthah and the elders. But repelling force by force without any
this was not sufficient. He would preliminary negotiations, yet if he
have it solemnly repeated and ratified can, by showing them the injustice
afier entering the camp at Mizpeh, of their conduct, persuade the inbetween himself and the whole as- vaders to retire, he will not compel
sembled congregation. In order to them by the sword. If the children
give it the utmost validity, and pre- of' Ammon could convince him that
elude all future misunderstanding, Israel haddone them wrong, he was
the people must confirm the act by ready to restore the rights of the
their own choice, and this is said to Ammonites; if not, it was plain by
have been done'before the Lord,' to their invasion that they did Israel
indicate the religious and solemn wrong, and he should by no means
manner in which the transaction was submit to it. This, though in an Isconducted, as if under his immediate raelite, was acting under the influinspection  and sanction.  See on ence of that religion which teaches
Josh. 4. 13.                      us to follow peace with all men, and
12. Jephthah sent messengers, &c. never to seek redress by forcible
A  measure in the highest degree means till every fair proposal is rehonorable to the equity, prudence, jected.-I-  What hast thou. to do
and piety of Jephthah, who herein 1wzth me, that thou cormest against -me,
conformed to the rule of conduct &c. Spoken thus in the first person,'trescribed by Moses, Deut. 20. 10-18, in the name both of God and of Israel.




B. C. 1143.]             CHAPTER  XI.                             147'Because Israel took away my away the land of the children
land, when they  came up out of Ammon:
of Egypt, from Arnon even unto   16 But when  Israel came up
I Jabbok) and unto Jordan: now  from Egypt, and ~w.alked through
therefore  restore  those  lands the wilderness unto the Red sea,
again peaceably.                   and pcame to Kadesh;
14 And  Jephthah  sent ines-   17 Then q Israel sent messensengers again unto the king of gers unto the king  of Edom,
the children of Ammon:              saying, Let me, I pray thee,
1.5 And said unto him, Thus pass through thy land:   but the
saith Jephthah, Israel took not   o Num. 14. 25. Dent. 1. 40. Josh. 5. 6.
1 Numn. 21. 24, 25, 26. in Gen..32. 22. p Numn. 13. 26, and20. 1. Deut. 1. 46. qNum.
Dn eut. 2. 9, 19.                  20 14. 1 Nuil. 20. 18, 21.
13. Because Israel took away, &c. falsehood and futility of the enemy's
One who seeks a pretext for a quar- claims upon these lands, Jephthah
rel will never be at a loss. to find one; goes into a recapitulation of the leadyet it speaks much in favor of the itng circumstances of Israel's coming
general peaceableness and inoffen- inAo possession of theni. He admits
siveness  of Israel towards their that they had indeed taken the terrineighbors, that their enemies, when tories in question, but they took them
intent upon hostilities against them, not from the Ammonites or Moabare obliged to look three hundred ites, whom  they were expressly foryears back for a specious occasion. bidden to molest on their march, but
If the Ammonites had been con- finding them in possession of Sihon,
scious of a valid claim, their demand  king of the Amorites, they took them
should have been published before from him in just and honorable warinvading Israel.  But we have no fare, in consequence of an unprointimation of this, and the claim now  voked attack upon them. It might,
preferred was evidently trumped up indeed, be true, that prior to Israel's
to serve the present occasion, as arrival in the country, the Amorites
affording a colorable pretence of jus- had taken these lands from the Moabtice in the invasion; showing that ites or Ammonites, Num. 21. 26;
they who are destitute of conscience Josh. 13. 25, but this was no concern
and honesty, are often very unwilling of theirs, nor were they bound to reto appear so. Jephtlhah, however, in cognize the previous title of any peowhat follows, stripped their conduct ple whatever.  This was his first
of its specious disguise, and showed plea in support:of his claims, which
conclusively how false and arrogant extends to v. 22.
were their pretensions.-.TMy land.   17. Then Is'rael sent messeng'ers, &c.
Speaking in the name both of the So far were they from offering the
children of Ammon and Moab, over least violence to the children of Esau
whom unitedly he seems, at this time, or of Lot, that when refused a pasto have reigned as king.           sage through their countries, though
15. Israel took not away, &c. In able, if they had chosen it, to have
Drder to evince beyond dispute, the opened their way by force, they ra.




148                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1143.
king of Edom would not heark- | 20  But Sihon trusted not Isen thereto.  And in like manner rael to pass through his coast:
they sent unto the king of Moab; but Sihon gathered all his peobut he would not consent. And ple together, and pitched in JaIsrael s abode in Kadesh.         haz, and fought against Israel.
18  Then  they  went along   21 And the LORD God of Israel
through  the  wilderness, and delivered Sihon and all his peo-'cornpassed the land of Edom, ple into the hand of Israel, and
and  the  land  of Moab, and they  b smote them: so Israel
Ucame by the east side of the possessed all the land  of the
land of Moab, x and pitched on Amorites, the inhabitants of that
the other side of Arnon, but country.
came not within the border of   22 And they possessed Call the
Moab: for Arnon was the bor- coasts of the Amorites, from
der of Moab.                      Arnon even unto Jabbok, and
19- And Y Israel sent messen- from  the wilderness even unto
gers unto  Sihon  king  of the  Jordan.
Amorites, the king of Heshbon;  23 So now the LORD God of
and Israel said unto him, zLet Israel  hath  dispossessed  *the
us pass, we pray thee, through  Amorites from before his people
thy land unto my place.           Israel, and shouldest thou pos8 Num. 20. 1. t Num. 21. 4. Deut. 2. 1-8. sess it?
u Nurl. 21. 11. x Num. 21. 13, and 22. 36.
YNum. 21.21. Deut.2.26. zNum.21.22.  a Num. 21. 23.  eut. 2. 32. bNum. 21.
Deut. 2. 27.                      24, 25. Deut. 2. 33, 34. c Dent. 2. 36.
ther underwent the fatigue of a long sensible they could not be confided
march to compass their territories, in themselves.
than to set a foot upon them, much   23. The Lord God'of Israel hath
less to seize them for their own use. dispossessed the Amorites.  Another
----  In like manner they sent unto brarch of Jephthah's argument in
thtekingofVMoab. Ofthisdeputation,. proof of Israel's right to. the land.
however, the history no where else God gave them  the country by givgives us any account..ing them the victory over him who
920. Tr'usted not Israel to pass possessed it.  The great Proprietor
tthrough his coast. That is, through of the earth, the King of nations, behis dominions; as also, v. 22. The stowed it upon them by an express
word signifies not only the borders and particular conveyance, such as
of a country, but the territory includ- vestedin them a title that none could
ed in them. Those who are them- gainsay, Deut. 2. 24,' I have given
selves conscious of a disposition to into thy hand Sihon and his land.'
oppress the weak, and take undue - S~Shouldest thou possess it? Heb.
advantages of the simple, will gen- 1'1U~'   tir'eshennq,, shouldestthot inerally give others credit for being?herit him; i. e. the Amorite  the naactuated by the same spirit, and con- tion, according to Heb. idiom, being
sequently withhold their confidence taken for the country which it occuin circumstances -where they are pied. He appeals to them whether




B. Ct. 1143.1           CHAPTER  XI.                            149
24 Wilt not thou possess that  25 And now art thou any thing
which d Chemosh thy god giveth better than fBalak the son of
thee to possess?  So whomso- Zippor king of Moab? did he
ever e the LORD our God shall ever strive against Israel, or did
drive out from  before us, them  he ever fight against them,
will we possess.                   26  While  Israel dwelt  in
d Nurn. 21.29. 1 Kings ll. 7. Jer. 48.'.
eDeut. 9. 4, 5, and 18.12. Josh.3.10.    Num.22.2. SeeJosh. 24. 9.
they could suppose that God had giv- ites, who had most interest in the
en them the land in such an extraor- matter, and was best able to enforce
dinary manner, merely in order that his claim, if he had thought fit-Balak
they should restore it again to the did not once object to our settlement
Ammonites or Moabites.            then, nor offer to molest us in the en24. Wilt thou not possess that which joyment of our possessions.  If he
Chemosh thy god giveth thee? With- then acquiesced in this disposition of
out really attributing any divinity to the lands, if the title of Israel had
the Ammonitish idol, Jephthah here not been disputed upon their first enargues with them on their own ad- trance upon them, what grounds had
mitted principles.' It is a maxim  the Ammonites to do it now' They
with you, as among all nations, that had possessed the country quietly for
the lands which they conceive to be three hundred years, and even though
given by their gods, they' have an their title had been less clear at first,
absolute right to, and should not re- yet seeing no claim  had been made
linquish to any claimant whatever. during that long period of time, they
You suppose that the land which had obtained a right by prescription,
you possess was given by your god which the law of nations would clearChemosh, and therefore you will ly have acknowledged. A title so
not relinquish what you believe you long unquestioned was to be presumhold by a divine right. In like man- ed to be unquestionable. The. folner we are fully assured that Jeho- lowing therefore is the sum of Jephvah our God, who is Lord of heaven thah's argument relative to the matter
and earth, has given the Israelites in dispute. (1) The Ammonites had
the land of the Amorites; and there- lost their lands in their contests with
fore we will not give it up.' The the Amorites.  (2) The Israelites
ground of Jephthah's remonstrance conquered these  lands from  the
was evidently sound and impregna- Amorites, who had waged an unble.-~T ThIem will wepossess. Heb. principled war against them.  (3)
21z' InIr  otho nbirash, him will we God, the Maker, Proprietor, and
inherit; i. e. his or their land; as Disposer of heaven and earth, had
above, v. 23.                      iven these lands by special grant to
25. Art thou any better than Balak? the Israelites.  (4) In consequence
That is, probably not morally better, of this, they had had possession of
but hast thou any better title? Yet them for upwards of three hundred
Balak, who was then king of Moab, years. (5) These lands were never
from whom the greatest part of these reclaimed by the Ammonites, though
lands had been taken by the Amor- they had repeated opportunities to do
13*




150                         JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1143.
gHeshbon apd her towns, and   28 Howbeit the king of the
in h Aroer and her towns, and in children of Ammon hearkened
all the cities that be along by the not unto the words of Jephthah
coasts of Arnon, three hundred  which he sent him.
years? why therefore did ye not.29 IT Then'the Spirit of the
recover them within that time?  LORD came upon Jephthah, and
27 Wherefore I have not sin- he passed over Gilead, and Maned against thee, but thou doest nasseh, and passed over Mizpeh
me wrong to war against me: of Gilead, and from  Mizpeh of
the LORD ithe Judge k be judge  Gilead he passed over unto the
this day between the children  children of Ammon.
of Israel and the children of 30 And Jephthah mvowed a
Ammon.                            vow  unto the LORD, and said,
g Num. 21. 25. h Deut. 2. 36. i Gen. 18.
25. k Gen. 16. 5, and 31. 53. 1 Sam. 24. 12,15.  1 ch. 3. 10. m Gen. 28. 20. 1 Sam. 1. 11.
it, whilst the Israelites dwelt in Hesh- Vows were very common under the
bon, in Aroer, and the coasts of Ar- Mosaic dispensation.  They were
non; but they did not reclaim them, even encouraged by God himself, in
because they knew the Israelites held order that his people might have opthem legally.  Consequently every portunities of manifesting the love
subsequent claim  was effectually that was in their hearts by offerings
barred, and the present pretensions that were not enjoined, and services
of Ammon were unsupported and that were not commanded. In cases
unjustifiable.                    of difficulty or distress, where it ap27. The Lord, the Judge, be judge peared of more than ordinary imthis day. Not by pronouncing sen- portance to secure the divine favor
tence verbally, like human judges, and protection, the patriarchs of old
but by awarding the victory to the had resorted to vows, and bound
side which he sees to be in the right. themselves, in case he should vouchIn this way he leaves the controversy safe to them the desired blessing, to
to he decided. When we have just- render unto him  according to the
ice and truth on our side, we may benefits he should confer upon them.
confidently appeal to the God of Thus Jacob, when he had just left
truth for a decision in our favor.  his father and family in order to
29. The Spirit of the Lord came seek in a foreign land a refuge from
-upon him. Endowing him in an ex- his brother's vengeance, vowed, that
traordinary manner for the work be- if the Lord would be with him and
fore him, and thus giving him con- restore him to his home in peace, he
vincing testimony that his cause was would take God entirely for his God,
good.-~ Passed over Gilead, &c. and devote to him a tenth of all that
Or, Heb.'passed through;' i. e. for he should possess, Gen. 28. 20-22.
the purpose of collecting recruits In the time of Moses the whole peoand increasing his forces to the ut- ple resorted to the same measure, in
most.                             order to obtain success against the
30. Jephthah vowed a vow, &c. Canaanites, Num. 21. 2.  This, it




B. C. 1143.]             CHAPTER  -XI.                          151
If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my
hands,
must be confessed, has a legal ap- again interdicted them, with the
pearance, and looks like offering to strongest expressions of abhorrence
make a bargain with God; but vows and reprobation. Deut. 12. 31.  Inmay certainly be made in perfect deed it was one of the grand reasons
consistency with the liberal spirit of assigned for driving out the Canaanthe Gospel; for it is intimated that ites, that they were in the habit of
under the Gospel, yea even in the so offering their sons and daughters to
termed millennial age, such a prac- Moloch in the fire, i. e.  of making
tice should obtain, Is. 19. 21, and we burnt offerings of them, as is reasonaknow that Paul both made a vow  bly to be inferred. It cannotbe doubthimself, Acts 18. 18, and united with ed, therefore, -that if Jephthah really
others in services to which, by a vowed such an offering to the Lord,
voluntary  engagement, they  had it was utterly unlawful for him to
bound themselves. It is, however, perform  it.  His duty would have
to be remarked, that a vow, to be ac- been to humble himself before God,
ceptable to God, must have respect and deeply repent of having enterto things in themselves lawful. If tained for a moment such a criminal
cannot cancel a former obligation, or purpose. But the intrinsic character
superinduce one that is repugnant to of such a vow, supposing Jephthah
it. All our obligations to obedience made it, is one thing, and its moral
proceed from God. He has a supreme quality as issuing from a mind, in
right to give laws to his creatures; such a state as his thenwas, is another.
but if men, by entering into vows, The vow itself may have been uncould free themselves from the obli.- lawful, and yet in making it he may
gation of his laws, they might then, not have been aware of its real nawhenever they pleased, by their own ture. Though his motives may have
act defeat his authority. Whatever been devout, and in a measure ace
therefore is in itself forbidden by ceptable to heaven, yet he may have
God, and for that reason unlawful, uttered it in great darkness and igp
cannot, by being made the matter of norance.  Let the circumstances of
a vow, become justifiable. So that his case be considered.  Let it be
he who has vowed to do what cannot borne in mind that he was born in a
be done without sin, is so far from  loose and degenerate period of the
being obliged'to perform  his vow, Israelitish nation, and that he was
that he is, notwithstanding his vow, bred up beyond Jordan, far from the
obliged not to perform it; the origi- tabernacle, and in the nearlleighbornal wrong of making   such a vow  hood of heathen tribes, with whose
being greatly aggravated by keeping idolatrous practices he would natuit. Now in applying these remarks rally become familiar. Under these
to the case of Jephthah, nothing is circumstances, in a foreign land, and
clearer than that human sacrifices associated with a band of outlaws
were ever an abomination to the and freebooters who lived by rapine
Lord, and that he had again and and violence. is it to be wondered at




152                          JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1143
that he should, previous to his ap- the Greek Testament.  The person
pointment as a leader of Israel, have or thing thus vowed unto the Lord,
sunk into a state of semi-paganism  was said to be' devoted' to him, and
from which he had by no means Te- could not be redeemed, Lev. 27. 28.
covered, even at the time of his sig- When it respected pe'rsons, or aninal victory over the Ammonites? mals of any kind, it implied that
And in this benighted state, is it not they were devoted to destruction; but
easily conceivable that he might have when it respected things, it implied
thought to propitiate Jehovah by such  that they were either to be?etterly
a kind of offering as was sometimes consumed byfire, or to be irrevocably
presented by heathen worshippers, dedicated to the Lord for religious
especially if we suppose he was fur- purposes.  In its application to perlher influenced by some confused re- sons it seems Io have been uttered by
collections of Abraham's intended public authority and to have been
sacrifice ofIsaac by divinecommand? restricted to heathen, aliens, and eneWould it be unnatural for a man mies of God, as the Amalekites, Cathus imperfectly instructed, on the naanites, &c., Judg. 1. 17; Num. 21.
eve of an important battle, in an ex- 1-3, nor do we any where read that
cited state of mind, and under the a father or a master of a family was
promptings of a blind zeal, to bind ever authorised thus to anathematize,
himself, on condition of his success, execrate, or devote to destruction one
to evince his gratitude by what he of his own household.  The utter deconceived a heroical and almost su- struction of Jericho with all that it
perhuman act of devotion?  To us contained, excepting Rahab, affords
there is nothing violent or forced in  a striking example of the'heren. Its
thesupposition; nothing inconsistent grand feature was, that in no case
with the general tenor of the narra- could its objects, whether persons or
tive; and in forming a correct esti- things, be properly redeemed from
mate of his conduct on the occasion, theuse, condition, or destiny to which
it is exceedingly important, if possi- they had been devoted.  In this reble, to ascertain the real state of mind spect it differed from  a second and
by wvh/ich it was prompted; for it is milder kind of vow, usually termed
only in this, that we can find an ade- neder (";1). by which one engaged
quate clew fo the right interpretation  to perform some particular act of pieof his vow. Before entering, how- ty, as for instance, to bring an offerever, upon the more particular ex- ing to God, or otherwise to dedicate
plication of this, it may be well to ad- any thing to him. The objects of
vert for a moment to the different this kind of vow  were various, as
kinds of vows in use among the Jews, clean or unclean beasts, lands, the
and determine, if possible, to what tithes of lands, houses, and the person
class of them this of Jephthah pro- of the vower himself; of all which
perly belonged.                     we have a detailed account, Lev. 27.
Of these the most important was These various objects, with the sin.
the'herem (t'r~),  which -was accom- gle exception of clean beasts, might
paniedbyanexecration,and answered be redeemed at the rate, and on the
to the anathema of the Septuagint and conditions specified in that chapter.




B. C. 1143.]              CHAPTER  XI.                             153
31 Then it shall be, that what- of my house to meet me, when
soever conmeth forth of the doors I return in peace from the childNow it is supposed by many critics the reason before mentioned, we imathat the vow of Jephthah is to be gine his acquaintance with the law
classed under this head. The sacred  was extremely limited; that the diswriter in speaking of it says, 11"' tinction between the different classes'1fr vayiddar nibder, and he vowed a of vows was a matter of which he
neder, not a'herem, and consequent- had little or no conception; and that
ly, they say, it was such a vow as he he was prompted at the moment far
might have redeemed by paying the more by a sqzperstitions imnpulse, than
prescribed ransom of thirty shekels, by a zeal according to knowledge,
which was the fixed estimation for a He knew in the gross that vows were
female, Lev. 27. 4.  But to this it is recognised in the religious institutes
replied by Rosenmiiller, that the of his people; that there was such a
terms nhdar, to vow, and neder, a thing as a -person's being devoted
vow, are generic, comprehending both without redemption to God; and that
the redeemable  and irredeemable such a vow, when taken, was sacredclass of vows. In proof of this he ly binding; and this we conceive
cites Num. 21. 2, where immediately  was about the sum of his knowledge
after the words,' And Israel vowied a on the subject. Possessing then this
vow (~T1l  1'VT) unto the Lord,' &c., very partial degree of light, and acit is added,'then I will sutter'ly destroy  tuated by an intense solicitude as to
l t'Talhha'haramti, theircities,'from  the result of the engagement, he
which it plainly appears that the'he- seems to have rushed precipitately
rem may be comprised under the ne- into the assumption of a vow, which
der, though every neder was not a proved a fearful snare to his soul,'her'en. As therefore the words alone That he became, however, subsedo not enable us to determine satis- quently more enlightened as to the
factorily the nature of the vow, it import of the vow, and discovered a
must be gathered from the circum- mode of dispensation from the literal.
stances. For ourselves, after an at- execution of it, we shall endeavor to
tentive consideration of all the inci- show  in the sequel.  But we are
dents connected with the transaction, treating, at present, solely of his inwe are brought to the conclusion, tentionr at the time, which, if we misthat as far as Jephthah in making the take not, was just that which the
vow had any statute of the divine reader would naturally apprehend
law in his mind, it was rather that from the simple letter of the text.
of the'herem, than of the simple  This we trust will be still more
seder; that his predominant idea clearly illustrated in'the Notes that
-was that of the irrevocable devotement follow.
to death of the object contemplated in   31. Whatsoever cometh forth.  Or,
his vow. But after all, it may well Heb.-.'I ~Ie asher yetze', whosobe doubted, whether Jephthah had ever cometh forth.  The rendering
his eye upon any particular precept given to these words will no doubt
u)r provision of the Mosaic code. For be governed in a great measure by




1o4                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1143.
ren of Am mon, "shall surely be'the LoRD's,  ~and I will offer it
n See Lev. 27. 2, 3, &c. 1 Sam. 1.11, 28 Up for a burnt-offering.
and 2. 18.                             o Psi 66. 13. See Lev. 27. 11, 12.
the translator's views of the real na-   Whosoever cometh out of the doors
ture of the vow uttered on this occa-  of my house to meet me, when I resion; as whether it had reference turn from the children of Ammon,
primarily to a human being or a shall be the Lord's, and I will offer
brute animal, To us the former ap- hizm up for a burnt offering.'
pears decidedly the most probable.   (2) The second is that adopted in
Admitting that the Heb.'1p1, ha- the text of our common English
yotze, which comet/c forth, may ap- Bibles;-' iWhatsoever cometh out of
ply equally to men or animals, yet the doors of my house, &c., shall be
the phrase,'cometh. forth to meet,' the Lord's, and 1 will offer it up for
seems to imply an intelligent act, a a burnt offering.'
coming forth witlh a design, which   (3) The third is that given in the
could scarcely be predicated of any margin  of the English  Bible; —
but a human being. Sheep, bullocks,' Whlatsoever cometh out of the doors
and other animals fit to be offered in of my house, &c., shall be the Lord's,
sacrifice, are  usually enclosed in  or I will offer it up for a burnt offerpastures and stalls, and could not be ing.'
expected to come out to meet him.   (4) The fourth was proposed about
How unlikely, then, was it that any sixty years since by Dr. Randolph,
of the animals allowed for sacri- and is this;-' Whosoever cometh
fice should come forth from'the out of the doors of my house, &c.,
doors of his house;' to say nothing shall be the Lord's, and I will offer
of the probability that a dog or some (to) Him (viz. the Lord) a burnt ofunclean animal might meet him, fering.'
which could neither lawfully be con-   Of these, the first is that adopted
secrated to the Lord, nor offered as a by the Septuagint and Vulgate verburnt sacrifice.-.~ S/hall surely be sions, and is undoubtedly the sense
the Lord's, and Iwill offer it up for a which the words of the original, if
burnt offering.  As much depends, viewed in themselves, apart from any
in forming a judgment of the real moral considerations, do most natu-,:haracter of Jephthah's vow, upon rally present. That this rendering
the correct explication of the terms supposes Jephthah to have had a huin which it was made, it will be pro- man sacrifice in his thoughts when
per here to advert to the leading opin- he made the vow, is undeniably true,
ions of commentators on this point. and without doing violence to the
These may be ascertained from the letter we know not how to avoid this
four following proposed modes of conclusion. We are aware that it
rendering, each of which has had its is objected to this, that Jephthah was
zealous advocates, whose collective at this time undoubtedly a pious
treatises on the subject would amount man, for it is said in the immediate
to several volumes.                connexion, that he was under the.1) The first is that given above; influence of the Spirit of God, and it




B. C. 1143.]             CHAPTER  XL                             1b5
cannot be supposed that such a man, doubtful whether the faith celebrated
under such an influence, could deli- in that chapter, was in every instance
berately vow to God that he would a justifying and saving faith, in recommit murder —that he would vow  lation to the individuals mentioned.
to put to death the first person who The apostle's object seems to be mereshould come forth to congratulate ly to illustrate the power of a firm
him, whether it might be man, wo- belief in the divine testimony, which
man, or child, yea, even if it should may doubtless exist separate from a
be his own, his only daughter. But renewed heart. We learn elsewhere,
to say nothing of the impropriety from the same authority, that a man
of applying the invidious term Mtur- might have the faith of miracles so
der to Jephthah's intention, we do not as to remove mountains, and yet not
think much stress can be laid upon be a good man. We do not affirm
the fact of his being said to be at this that Jephthah was not a good man,
time under the influence of the Spi- yet we derive no absolute assurance
rit of God, for it does not appear from the simple fact of his putting a
that this phrase, as used by the Old strong feith in the divine promises,
Testament writers, indicates by any that he was an eminent saint, and
means such a kind of influence as is incapable of making such a vow as
intended in the New Testament by we have supposed above. The obone's being led, prompted, governed jections, therefore, drawn from these
by the Holy Spirit. In the latter sources against the interpretation
case it denotes mainly a moral, spi- now recited do not seem to carry
irtal, sanctifying influence; in the with them any great weight. Jepth.
former, it simply implies the di- thah may still have meant to vow
vine bestowment of remarkable gifts, that he would offer up a human sawhether physical or intellectual, for crifice.  But that such a sacrifice
the performance of a particular work, was acptally made does not, we conor the discharge of a particular ceive, necessarily follow from this
office.  The endowments indicated admission. Of this, however, more
by it were seated rather in the head in the sequel.
and the body, than in the heart, so   The second rendering, which is
that taken by itself it affords us no that of the translators of the English
clew to the moral cha racter or actions Bible, is liable perhaps to no serious
of the subject of it. A similar train grammatical objection, though, we
of remark is applicable also to an- think, less punctiliously faithful to
other objection urged on the ground the original than the former, for the
of Jephthah's being enrolled by Paul, reasons stated in the previous note.~
in the eleventh of Hebrews, among It is, however, the view  given by
the eminent men who had obtained Josephtus, who makes Jephthah proa good report through faith. This mise to'offer in sacrifice what livis supposed to afford conclusive ing creature soever should first meet
proof that he was a' good man, and him,' and he affirms that the vow, in
therefore that he could not have been that sense, was executed by him;'he
guilty of a conduct so contrary to the sacrificed his daughter as a burnt
divine law.  But it is extremely offering, offering such an oblation




lt5                          JUDGES,                     [B. C. 1143
as was neither confbrmable to the and species or the one member comrn
law, nor acceptable to God.'  The prehencding the other, as otherwise it
same sense is given by the Targum  would be as absurd as to say,' Thou
of Jonathan, and is perhaps the sense shalt not injure a man or his head,s'
which has on its side the balance of the one term evidently including the
authorities, both Jewish and Chris- other.  So in the present instance,
tian. But the-question whether Jeph- the clause'It shall be the Lord's,' is
thah actually sacrificed his daughter, obviously, he affirms, the general,
is still to be decided on grounds in- while' It shall be offered up for a;dependent of the balance of authority burnt offering,' is merelythe included
as to the literal purport of the vow.  particular, indicating the special ma.The celebrated Rabbi, David Kim- ner in which it shall be the Lord's.
chi, who flourished in the twelfth cen- This we cannot but regard as the
tury, seems to have been the first who interpretation required on strict phiproposed the third translation, or that lological principles, and if the pasgiven in the margin of the English  sage were rendered,'It shall be the
Bible. According to this interpreta- Lord's, even I will offer it up for a
tion, the Heb. copulative 1 and, is to burnt offering,' it would come, we
be translated or, and the sense of the believe, still nearer to the genuine
vow will then be,'Whatsoever com- force of the original. We assent,
eth out of the doors of my house, I therefore, to the remark of Noble,
will, if it be a thing fit fobr a burnt (Plen. Inspir.) that' this rendering
offering, make it one; or, if not, will is- extremely forced and harsh, and
consecrate it to his service.' This one which critics have acquiesced in
would suppose him, in making the only to get rid of what they esteemed
vow, to have had a mental reserve, a greater difficulty.  It also makes
which would allow him to act as the the second clause of the vow entirely
exigency of the case might require. unnecessary; for if Jephthah meant
it gives him an alternative which by to say, that whatsoever came out of
the other mode of rendering is effect- his house should be consecrated to
uallyprecluded. This construction, the Lord, in such a manner as was
however, is certainly liable to a very suitable to its nature, this is fully
important  grammatical  objection. conveyed in the first clause; andthe
Though it is unquestionable that the addition of the second, separated by
particle 1 is sometimes used as a dis- or, instead of helping to determine
junctive, and properly rendered'or,' his meaning, is of no use but to peras Ex. 12. 5,' hand or foot' 21. 15, plex it.' For these reasons we are'father or mother;' 2 Sam. 2. 19, compelled to reject the third hypo-'right hand or left,' yet it may be thesis, as wholly unsustained by a
doubted  whether it is ever used just philological support.
to disjoin things so completely as   The fourth and last. is Dr. Ranthis translation supposes. Gussetius dolph's rendering,'Whosoever com(Comm. Ling. Ebr.) contends that to eth out, &c., shall be the Lord's, and
give' a disjunctive force, it is essen- I will offer (to) Him  a burnt offertial that the terms between which it ing.'  According to this translation,
stands should-not be related as genus Jephthah's vow will consist of two




B. C. 1143.]              CHAPTER  XI.                             157
parts.  The first, that whatsoever See also 2 Kings 3. 27, where we
verson or object should come forth of meet With a case exceedingly similar
his doors to meet him should surely  to this of Jephthah. What Jephthah,
be the Lord's; i. e. should bededicat- according to the most direct import
ed, consecrated for eves to his service. of his words, is supposed to have
The second, that he would, beside promised to do, the king of Moab,
this, offer to Jehovah a burnt offering. when sore pressed by the kings of
According to the rendering'in our Israel, Judah, and Edom, is affirmed
common version, the very same object actually to have done; and inll preor person who should'surely be the cisely the same words, joined in the
Lord's,' was to be offered up for a same construction;' Then took he
burnt offering.  According to that his eldest son, that should have reignnow proposed, they were to be diffe'- ed in his stead, and offered him (for)
ent objects. This explanation appear- a burnt offering, (,5pY q5"t'1) upon
ed to Bp. Lowth so signally happy the wall.'  These words differ from
and conclusive, that he speaks of it Jephthah's only in the mood, tense,
as having' perfectly cleared up a dif- and person of the verb, and in the
ficulty, which for two thousand years common variety in spelling of the
had puzzled all the translators and noun, the same suffix l, and appaexpositors, had given occasion to dis- rently in the same relation being used
sertations without number, and caus- in each.
ed endless disputes among the learn-   On the whole we are constrained
ed.'  Such a commendation, from  to dissent from  this, as well as the
such a source, undoubtedly entitles preceding interpretation, and to acthe proposed explanation to great knowledge, that after all the labors of
respect, but it has still failed to satis- the learned, nothing satisfactory has
fy the mass of commentators, and as yet been produced to fix a sense upon
we think for very good reasons. The the passage, which should exclude
sense hereby given to the original is the'idea that a human sacrifice was
not warrafnted  by common usage. either intended by the vow, or might
The Hebrew, it will be observed, is be its qunintended result. It -is still
lit) iriM'YMI vehaalitlihu oldh, undeniable  that the  old  common
where the suffixed pronoun'l1 hua is translation, sanctioned by the venerajoined to the verb  to express the ble Septuagint version. is that which
thing offered, and not another exam- naturally flows from  the words, if
ple can be found, in which verbs of taken in their legitimate construction.
qffril.g or sacrificing are accompa- Certain too it is, that if Jephthah had
nied with a suffix pronoun denoting spoken English, and had said,' Whothe Being to Sohonm the offering is soever cometh out of the doors of my
m ade. On the contrary, instances of house, &c., shall be the Lord's, and I
a precisely parallel usage to the pre- will offer him  up for a burnt offersent are of no uncommon occurrence. ing;' and  these words had been
Thus 1 Sam. 7. 9,' Then Samuel translated frcom English into Hlebrew,
took a sucking lamb, and offered it they could not otherwise have been
(for) a burnt offering (;1,   1n5t)1 exactly rendered than by the very
veyaalthu olh,) wholly to the Lord.' words which now stand in the He14




15S                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1143.
32 IT So Jephthah passed over ter.  Thus the children of Am
unto the children of Ammon to mon were subdued  before the
fight against them:  and  the children of Israel.
LORD' delivered them  into his   34  iF And Jephthah came to
hands.                             qMizpeh  unto  his house, and
33 And he smote them  from  behold, rhis daughter came out
Aroer even  till thou come to  to meet him with timbrels and
PMinnith, even twenty  cities, with dances: and she was has
and unto the plain of the vine- only child: beside her he had
yards, with a very great slaugh- neither son nor daughter.
P Ezek. 27. 17.          q ch. 10. 17, and ver. 11. r Exod. 15. 20.
brew Bible. At the same time, as pleased with such offerings as the
we shall presently endeavor to show, heathen presented unto  Moloch X
though we do not doubt that thislan- And when, in future ages, he punishguage expresses fairly what was in ed his people for offering human saJephthah's mind at the time of mak- crifices, might they not justly have
ing the vow, yet whether he actuall?  pleaded, that he, in this instance, had
executed the vow in this sense of it both approved and rewarded them Vs
admits of very'serious question. See To this we answer, that the public
farther on v. 39.                  interest of the whole Jewish people
32. Jephthalhpassed overunto. That was more regarded in the bestowis, passed through or over the inter- ment of the victory, than the private
mediate regions lying between him  hopes or wishes of Jephthah.  Unand the enemy.,                    worthy or faulty instruments were
33. Thtus the children of Ammon often employed by the Most High in
were subdued, &c. Heb.'.1V)   yik- effecting his kind purposes for Israel,
kareu, were greatly humbled, or, if we and we see no reason to doubt that
may be allowed to fabricate a term  the result would have been the same
for the purpose,' wer'e Canaanized,' with the same means, even had no vow
i. e. made to share the fate of the whatever been uttered.  Moreover,
Canaanites; which to a Hebrew ear it is a high presumption in weak
would be precisely the import of the  mortals to read in the events of prooriginal. How  far his success on vidence a proof, that God malkes
this occasion is to be construed as an himself a party to compacts of their
answer to his prayers, and a token of own voluntary proposing, let them
the divine acceptance of his vow, it be ever so well intended. His counis not possible to determine.  By sels are a great deep, and it is at our
some it is considered a strong argu- peril that we put such unauthorized
ment in favor of the milder view  constructions upon his dispensations.
which is taken of the vow.'Would' No man knowetlt either love or
God,' it is asked,'have sanctioned in hatred bv all that is before them.'
this manner a gross act of deliberate   34. With tim.brels'and with dances.
murderS. Would not this have been From this, and from  1 Sam. 18. 6,
the very way to deceive his people, where David's triumphal return from
and to make them  think he was the defeat of Goliath and the Philis



B. (c. 1143.1           CHAPTER  XI.                            159
35 And it came to pass, when daughter! thou hast brought me
he saw  her, that he'rent his very low, and thou art one of
clothes, and said, Alas, my them that trouble me: for I
s Gen. 37. 29, 34.
tines is mentioned, it appears to have that from being highly elated by the
been an ancient custom for women xecent victory, he had now, in meetto go forth to meet returning con- ing his daughter under the present
querors with musical instruments, circumstances, been suddenly and
songs, and dances. Jephthah's daugh- wofully depr'essed and struck down, as
ter, on this occasion, undoubtedly it were, to the earth. His exultation
came forth, not alone, but at the head was changed  to humiliation and
of a band or choir of maidens, who grief.  His daughter had done to
joined with her in these joyful con- him what the Ammonites could not.
gratulations.-i- f She was his only The evident bitterness of emotion
child. This circumstance is men- which he betrayed, on meeting his
tioned to point out an additional daughter, clearly shows that he then
cause of the poign:-icy of his dis- looked upon himself as bound by the
tress. It is well known how intensely tenor of his vow to make her life a
anxious the Hebrews were for pos- sacrifice. Although the idea of conterity, and as Jephthah could only signing her to a state of perpetual
hope for descendants through his celibacy and seclusion, of being bedaughter, the sorrow  he expressed reft of her society, and seeing the exis quite natural, even under the tinction of his name in Israel certain,
milder interpretation of his Vow.-    could not but greatly affect the heart
~fBesides her he had nqeither son nor of a father, yet the anguish which he
daughter.  Or, Heb.'there was not now expressed appears too intense
to himself either son or daughter;' and excruciating to be caused by any
implying, as some of the Jewish thing but the conviction that she must
commentators think, that though he die-die a martyred victim  to his
had no other children of his own, precipitate vow.-. r Thou art one
yet his wife, the widow of a former of them that trouble me. Heb.'thou
husband, had.  Others take the ori- hast become among my troublers.'
ginal 132   mimmenL, with our trans- This language might, in  reality,
lators, as used for InMZ   mimnmenih, have been more properly addressed
besides her, a view  of the phrase by the daughter to her father, but his
which Rosenmiillerseems to approve. meaning obviously is, that she had
35. Alas, my daughter, thou hast innocently and involuntarily become
brought me very low.  Heb. VY'7   a source of unspeakable distress to
)nm:, hakraa hikrateni, bowing him.' He answers the measures of
thou hast made me to bow; generally her feet with the knockings of his
spoken of bowing down upon the breast. Her joy alone hath changed
knees for purposes of religious reve- the day, anti lost the comfort of that
rence, or from feebleness and ex- victory which she enjoyed to see
haustion, especially when overcome won. It falls out often, that those
in battle. Here the idea seems to be, times and occasions which promise




160                           JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1143'have opened my mouth unto  me according to that which hath
the LORD, and u I cannot go back. proceeded  out of thy  mouth;
36 And she said unto him, My  forasmuch as Y the LORD hath
father, if thou hast opened thy  taken vengeance for thee ofthine
mouth  unto the LORD, X do to  enemies, even of the children of
Ammon.
t Eccles. 5. 2. t1 Nmin. 30. 2. Ps. 15. 4.
Eccles. 5. 4, 5. x Num. 30. 2.                Y 2 Sam. 18.19, 31.
most contentment, prove most doleful thy mouth, &c. A  striking pattern
in the issue; the heart of this virgin  of filial piety and obedience, and of
was never lifted up so high as now, heroic zeal for what she conceived
neither did any day of her life seem  the honor of God and of Israel. So
happy but this; and this only proves rejoiced was she at the victory, as
the day of her solemn and perpetual redounding to the good of her counmourning.  It is good, in a fair try, that she is willing to be herself
niorning, to think of the storm  that offered up as a thank-offering for it,
miay arise ere night, and to enjoy and thinks her life well bestowed,
both good and evil fearfully.'-Bp. when laid down for such a purpose.
Hall.-  ~ I have opened my moutht True indeed it is, that if her father's
tunto the Lord.  I have solemnly  conduct was wrong in making the
vowed to him; implying that the  vow, hers, when viewedintrinsically
vow was not only conceived in the in itself, could not be right in concurmind,but uttered with thelips. Vows, ring in it; the same moral character
unless they were verbally enou nced, would attach to both; but it were
seem not to have been regarded as vain to expect that her knowledge
binding, Num. 30. 3, 7, 9, 13; Deut. in such a matter would go beyond
23. 2e, 23. Although the narrative that of her father.  How can it be
does not represent him as informing supposed  that a youthful maiden
her specifically of the burden of the should have had clear views of the
vow, yet from what follows it is plain  import of the divine law on such a
that she soon became aware of it, subject, when her father's mind was
either from  the extreme  distress enveloped in darkness?  Her genewhich he now manifested, or from  rous self-devotion, therefore, is still
his subsequent explicit disclosures. entitled to our highest commendaThe sacred writers frequently omit tion.  Her involuntary ignorance
the mention of minor circumstances, excuses her infirmity, and if she becontenting themselves with the state- lieved when she uttered these words,
ment of leading facts, and leaving it that she was to be put to death, neito the judgment of the reader to sup- ther Greece nor Rome, with all their
ply the omitted links of' the chain. heroes and heroines, can furnish an
-'I   I cannot go back.  I cannot instance  of sublimer self-sacrifice
recall the vow myself, now that it is than this of the humble maid of Israsolemnly uttered, nor can any power el.  Had it occurred among these
on earth release me from its obliga- i boasting people, instead of the plain
tion.                               unvarnished tale of the sacred histo36. MIy father, if thou haist opened rian, we should have had it pressed




B. C. 1143.]             CIIAPTER  XI.                          161
37 And she said unto her fa- the mountains, and bewail my
ther, Let this thing be done for virginity, I and my fellows.
me: Let me alone two months,  38 And he said, Go.  And he
that I may go up and down upon sent her away for two months:
on our admiration with all the pomp Not that we can suppose that compaof eloquence. Indeed it cannot be nies of unprotected maidens would
doubted, had but Jephthah and his forsake for days and weeks the habidaughter been heathens, that the very tations of men, and spend their time
persons, who now find in the transac- in roving about over hill and dale in
tion nothing but a pretence for vilify- the open air, for they would surely
ing the Scriptures, would then have stand in need of food and shelter, and
extolled the whole as exhibiting the how on this supposition were they to
finest example of the most noble con- procure them? but they probably
stancy, the most disinterested virtue. withdrew to some retired places of
37. Let me alone for two months. abode, remote from populous villaThe word in the original is that used ges, where, under the care of pious
for slacking, rela*zing, loosing one's matrons, theypassed the allotted time
hold upon any thing; see Note on in the observance of such rites and
Josh. 1. 4.  The whole narrative ceremonies, as were appointed for
affords nothing more obscure and re- the purpose; occasionally, perhaps,
markable than this request. On what walking  abroad  in  solemn  and
custom was it founded 1 Is there an mournful processions.  It is at least
intimation of any thing similar in difficult to conceive, in a civilized
any other part of the Scriptures, or in and religious state of society, and
any thing relative to oriental'man-   especially in Eastern countries, of
ners and usages?  We know of no- any other mode, in which a company
thing, and must sit down resigned in of youthful damsels could, without a
our ignorance.  Yet we think the very ill appearance, spend a season
inference fair, that children, both of retirement from their usual place
sons and daughters, were occasion- of residence. Let the question be put
ally dedicated by Jewish parents -to to any reflecting mind, in what other
the perpetual service of God at the light can a transaction of this nature
tabernacle or temple, as we know  be viewed? Did theJewish maidens,
was the case with Samuel, though he, under these circumstances, sojourn
in after life, seems to have obtained  unattended for weeks and months,
a dispensation from the vow of his wandering up anddown on the mounnother. Where this was the case tains?  Is it conceivable that they
with youthful females, it is probable should have adopted a measure so
the custom obtained of their retiring utterly abhorrent to female decorum
for a season in groups from domestic and so completely at war with the
scenes to sequestered places, in token very first rudiments of oriental preof regret at being thereby excluded judice? If then, upon abandoning
the privilege of a place among the their own homes, they must have reancestors of the future generations sorted to some kind of habitations,
of Israel, and perhaps of the Messiah. what were they? what, but a species
14*




162                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1.143.
and she went with her compan- end of two months, that she reions, and bewailed her virginity  turned unto her father, who z did
upon the mountains.                with her according to his vow
39 And it came to pass at the            ver. 31. 1 Sam. 1. 22, 24, and 2. 18.
of abode designed for the puwrose? strikes us as not specifying the preFor ourselves, the narrated Jacts of cise manner in which the vow was
the Scripture allow us to come to no performed, but as leaving us at liberother conclusion. If then such a cus- ty, provided the exigency of the case
tom existed at the. time to which our requires it, to understand the writer
narrative refers, it is very supposa- as saying, that he did to her what
ble, that Jephthah's daughter on an was equivalent to his original vow,
occasion like the present, with her what was accepted in lieu of it, inimpending fate full before her, should stead of the identical thing which the
have been desirous to avail herself  vow contemplated.  The verisinmiliof a usage, originally indeed design- tude of this rendering will be just in
ed for another purpose, but not inap- proportion to the probability, derived
propriate to this, and so have re- from other sources, that he did not
quested a respite of a few  weeks actually put his daughter to death;
from  the doom  that awaited her. that in the interval of the two months'
What more fitting employment dur- respite which she besought, he had
ing that dread interval, than to min- come to a different view  of the degle her regrets with those whose lot mands of duty in the case, the amount
her own in one respect so much re- of which was, a clear conviction that
sembled, though they were exempted the literal fulfilment of the vow was
from the destiny to which she had not obligatory upon him.  In supmeekly submitted?                  port of this hypothesis, which we
39. Did with her according to his think to be the true one, we offer the
vow. Heb.'1  ty i: R  2Y.11 vayaas following considerations.
Iah eth nidro, did to her his vow.   (1) It is not expressly stated tha'
The original, if we mistake not, af- she was offered up for a burnt offer.
fords some more latitude of construe- ing.  Instead of saying, as would
tion, in respect to the mode of execut- naturally, on that supposition, have
ing the vow, than is allowed by our been expected in a transaction of
present rendering. According to the such moment,' He did with her aclatter, we are required to believe that cording to his vow, and offered herqup
he adhered to the very letter of the for a burnt offering to to te Lord,' the
vow, and actually offered her as a writer simply affirms,'He did to her
burnt offering, which we have en- his vow, and she knew no man;' as if
deavored to show is the unforced le- this were intended to be explanatory
gitimate sense of the vow itself. Ac- of the manner in which the doing of
cording to the former, which is more the vow was accomplished, viz. by
general and indefinite, we are not, devoting her to a life of celibacy.
we conceive, absolutely shut up to Why else is this latter circumstance
the adoption  of this sense.  The mentioned, but to show wherein the
phrase,'he did to her his vow,'  accomplishment of the vow consist



B. C. 1143.]            CHAPTER  XI.                             163
ed. If she were really put to death, perpetual celibacy the line of his posis it not strange that the fact of her terity become extinct for ever.  It
death is not once spoken of? But if would therefore almost amount to a
she were only doomed to a state of positive immolation of her.
perpetual virginity, the reason of the   (2) It does not appear by whose
expression is at once obvious.  It hands such a sacrifice could have
may indeed be objected that no other been offered. Not by the high priest,
instance of devoting a person to vir- or any regular member of the priestginity occurs, nor have we evidence hood, for with all the deplorable laxthat parents possessed any such right. ness, ignorance, and degeneracy that
This we admit; but neither, on the prevailed, it is incredible that any
other hand, does the Scripture afford officiatingpriest should have tolerated
evidence, that parents possessed the for a moment, in the face of such exright of devoting their children to plicit prohibitions as Moses had givdeath, nor exhibit, among the chos- en, the oblation of a human sacrifice.
en people, an example of the fact of And not by Jephthah himself, for
such a devotenlent.  The intrinsic this would have been a transgression
probability, therefore, is as strong on of the Levitical law, which enjoined
the one side as the other.  Nor is that every offering should be made
the objection more valid, that sup- by the hand of the priest, and at the
posing her only devoted to God, place where the tabernacle and altar
there was no reason why she should stood.  This is rendered still more
remain unmarried; since Samson certain byan important circumstance
and Samuel, both of whom were de- mentioned in the beginning of the
voted to God from the womb, were next chapter. It will be remembered
both married.  But the case is ex- that the tabernacle was at this time
tremely different between a man and at Shiloh, in the tribe of Eplhraim.
a woman. The former was at liberty Now immediately after the concluto serve God, in any way that he sion of the war with the Ammonites,
judged agreeable to his will; but the we find Jephthah engaged in a bitter
latter, if she had married, wouldhave war with the Ephraimnites.   This
been under the control of her hus- makes it in the highest degree improband, who might in a variety of bable that he should, in the very heat
ways have interfered with the dis- of the quarrel, have gone into the
charge of the duties which the vow  heart of that tribe to offer such a saimplied. It was therefore necessary crifice, even had it been lawful.  If
that she should remain unmarried, then, there is the utmost reason to beand that she should also be secluded lieve that such an offering was neot
in a great measure from societyitself; made by the high priest or any infe(hat being the way in which the ob- rior priest-that it was not made by
ject of entire consecration could be Jephthah himself-and that it was
most effectually attained. Moreover, not made at Shiloh, the appointed
such a sentence would come the placeofsacrifice, what reason is there
nearest of any other to the letter of to suppose it was made at all.
his vow. She would henceforth be-   (3) From  all the circumstances,.ome dead to the world, and in her the probability, we think, is very




164                          JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1143.
strong that Jephthah availed himself sult?  Could he fail to come to the
of the provisions of the law, in re- conclusion, that such a sacrifice as
spect to devoted persons and things; he first intended was not only unlawin other words, that during the two ful, but in the face of the numerous
months' interval, he had become bet- pointed prohibitions against it would
ter instructed in regard to the subject amount to nothing short of downof vows in general under the Mosaic right murder. Would he not learn,
statutes, and ascertained that a dis- that as an of'ri,,ng (1Y, the term
pensation, in his case, was practica- he had employed in his vow) was in
ble. We have already remarked that its own nature incompatible with a
vows were encouraged under the law,'herem (V11), and that the law havand that besides the'hei'em or ana- ing made no provision for the latter
thema, person.s or things might be de" being substituted for the former, he
voted to God.  But where this was was even, according to the very terms
the case, the law permitted that a of his vow, rightly understood, not
valuation should be made of the de- only released, but prohibited from
voted person or thing, and that the peiforming it?   Under these cirmoney should be regarded as a ran- cumstances, would he, could he persom for it, or an offering be presented  severe in his original intention? Is
in its stead.  If a human being were it not more probable, that after deep
devoted, the estimation was to vary deliberation in concert with the auaccording to the Rex or age of the thorised expounders of the law, he
person, Lev. 27. 2-13, but for an adult yielded to the conviction, that alfemale, it was thirty shekels of sil- though his solemn pledge did not
ver. Now supposing that Jephthah, originally contemplate any such alat the time of making the vow, had ternative, yet it might be embraced
no distinct recollection or knowledge in the provisions now alluded toof this law; supposing even that the that it nit  ight come under the class
vow, as it emanated from  his lips, of redeemable vows?  He would be
partook more of the character of the snore encouraged to avail himself of'herem than the seder; yet is it con- this dispensation, on the ground of
ceivable, that when the execution of the darkness of his mind at the time
it was postponed for two months, of coming under the engagement.
and the affair had become notorious It was not an act of wilful disregard
throughout the nation, and was the of the divine statutes relative to this
subject of general discussion and point, but one rather of misapprehengreat lamentation, there was no per- sion and inafirmity?, though from its
son in all Israel who once thought rash and reckless character by no
of this law? Would not the agonized  means innocent.  He was still, we
father, besides devoting to it his own may suppose, ready to humble himintensest study, consult t}:e priests self before God in view of his preon the subjectS?  And would not the cipitancy, and while he paid the
priests acquaint him  with the pro- ransom  price  that delivered  his
visions of the law in reference to a daughter from death, piously resolvcase of casuistry like the present? ed, by way of punishing himself for
And what would naturally be the re- his rashness, to fulfil his vow in her




B. C. 1143.]             CHAPTER  XI.                            165
which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a
custom in Israel,
civil ezcision from among the living. an inability to answer this question
Ile accordingly, we conceive, con- satisfactorily ought to be considered
signed her henceforth to a state of as essentially weakening the force
perpetual seclusion and celibacy-of of the arguments adduced above,
living consecration to God-and in we may suggest in reply, that the
this manner' did unto her his vow,' Spirit of inspiration may have framthough  in a mode of execution, ~ed the record as it now stands, markwhich did -not, in the first instance, ed by a somewhat ambiguous asenter into his thoughts.           spect, in order to guard against a
Thus, on the whole, after weighing  light estimate of the obligation of vows.
all the circumstances and arguments We do not affirm this to have been
bearing upon the case, we are led to the design, but it is certainly condecide upon the much disputed point, ceivable that if it had been expressly
whether Jephthah really sacrificed stated that the vow in its literal sense
his daughter.  To our mind the evi- had not been performed, it might
dence for the negative clearly pre- have gone to relax somewhat of the
ponderates. At the same time, we apprehended sacredness of all such
do not, as will be seen, deduce it votive engagements, and led men to
from the terms of the vow, or any think that God himself might easily
fancied contingency of purpose in dispense with them. Whereas, as it
Jephthah's mind at the time of mak- is now worded, and would be pering it. We believe that it was made haps most naturally understood, it
under the prevailing impression that would inspire far other sentiments,
a human sacrifice would be the re- and lead men at once to be very causult; but that, although his conduct tious in making, and very punctiliwas contrary to the Scriptural. pre- ous in performing their vows.
cept forbidding men' after vows to   39, 40. And it was a custom in Ismake inquiry,' he became subse- rael. Heb.  ZR         j Trl 1J r11 vatquently more enlightened, and by a tehi'hok be-yisrael. The phraseology
careful study of the law, aided by of the original is peculiar, the verb
its proper ministers, he ascertained being of the fem., the noun of the
the possibility of being released from  masc. gender. The literal rendering
the dilemma in which he had so we take to be,'and she became an
thoughtlessly ensnared himself. Per- ordinance in Israel;' i. e. her case
haps the most valid objection to the beame a precedent; it gave rise to an
view  given above, is that which established custom in Israel.  But
would assume the form of the ques- what particular custom is alluded to,
tion, Why, if such were the fact, is whether that of dedicating maidens
the narrative so constructed as to to God, as Gusset supposes, or that
give rise almost inevitably to the of going at stated times to commemoimpression, that the literal immola- rate the fate of Jephthah's daughter,
tzon of Jephthah's daughter actually as others contend, is not clear. The
took place I Without allowing that latter appears, on the whole, most




166                          JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1143,
40 Thai the daughters of Israel ter of Jephthah  the Gileadite
went yearly to lament the daugh- I four days in a year.
probable.-  1f Went yearly to lament the word means in its most genera.
the daughter of Jeplthaah.   Heb. sense,'to praise, to celebrate, to comt,7th  tl7thI17 miyamim yamimiah, memorate,' and would therefore de.
from  days to days; but a day in note that the daughters of Israel kept
Scriptural idiom is often used for a a few days' anniversary to commemyear; for which reason the marginal orate this transaction, whatever were
reading is properly'from  year to its result. For aught that appears
year.' The original for' to lament,' from the language itself, she might
(n=r5l lethannoth), is a term of very have been living at the time. Indeed
questionable import. It is rendered take the passage as it reads;' The
differently according to the different daughters of Israel went to lament
opinions of expositors, as to the na- the daughter of Jephthah;' and the
ture of the vow, and the mode of its question is, what in her, or respecting
fulfilment.  Those who think that her, did they lament. It is not said
she was sacrificed, are satisfied with they lamented her death; and to afthe present version; those who dis- firm that they did, is to beg the quessent from this, contend earnestly for tion.  They might have lamented
the marginal rendering,' to talk only what they and Jephthah'sdaughwith,' —meaning that the daughters ter had lamented before, viz. her virof Israel went yearly to condole ginity.  On the whole, though some
with and to comfort her. It must be difficulties attend every interpretation
admitted, that the evidence for this hitherto advanced of Jephthah's vow
latter sense of the word is by no and its consequences, yet the forego.
means slight, if we refer to the only ing has perhaps the fewest and the
other instance in which it occurs, least, and receives most countenance
Judg. 5. 11, where, though trans- both from  philological and moral
lated' to rehearse'-' there shall they considerations.
rehearse the righteous acts of the   We may close our observations on
Lord,'-yet the idea of colloquy, of this remarkable portion of holy writ
mutual address, is clearly involved. by suggesting, (1) 7'hiat we be cauThis is confirmed by Kimchi, the tious in making vows.' Be not rash
Jewish commentator, who thus para- with thy mouth, and let not thine
phrases the words before us,' That heart be hasty to utter any thing beindeed, with their friendly discourse fore God; for God is in heaven, and
they might comfort her concerning thou upon earth; therefore let thy
her virginity and her solitary state words be few.' It may sometimes be
of life.' The ancient versions, how- useful to bind ourselves by solemn
ever, with one accord, give the sense vows, to evince our gratitude and.
of lamenting, bewailing, a circum- confirm  our regard for the divine
stance undoubtedly to us of no small glory. But such vows should be deweight, though not absolutely deci- liberately and discreetly made, and
sive in estimating the true import of should extend to those things only
the term. The probability is, that that are clearly lawful in themselves,




B. C. 1143.]             CHEIAPTER  XII.                        167
CHAPTER  XII.              ther, and went northward, and,ND  athe men of Ephraim  said unto Jephthah, Wherefore
-A      gathered themselves toge-            a See ch. 8. 1.
and serviceable to the interests of re- engagement, felt constrained to  as,
ligion.   Strict inquiry should be here to its spirit, though released
made into the nature and extent of from the letter, and would not go
the proposed engagements, before we back, notwithstanding the sacrifice
enter into them. Thus Solomon de- was so great, so neither should we
clares,' It is a snare to a man to de- decline the performance of the most
vour that which is holy, and after difficult of our vows. Let us remind
vows to make inquiry.'  If we have ourselves of the sacredness uniformly
rashly pledged ourselves to do what attached in the Scriptures to obligathe law of God prohibits, we must tions of this sort, and say with David,
recede from our vow, and humble' I will go into thy house with burnt
ourselves before our Maker for our offerings; I will pay thee my vows
precipitance. The forty conspirators, which my lips have uttered, and my
who swore that they would neither mouth hath spoken, when I was in
eat nor drink till they had killed trouble.' And who is there that has
Paul, and Herod, who swore that he not the responsibility of vows of some
would give his daughter whatsoever kind resting upon him. Who has
she should ask of him, had no right not, in a time of sickness, or danger,
to bind themselves to such an extent, or trouble, or alarm, determined with
and would have sinned less in vio- himself, that if he should be deliverlating than in keeping their engage- ed, he would devote himself to the
ments. Let their case be a warning Lord and to the pursuit of heavenly
to us. (2) That we be conscientious things? Let all such look back and
in performing theWn.  Where our call to mind the vows that are upon
vows are lawful and practicable they them, and be admonished that Jephshould be religiously kept.  Better thah will rise up in judgment against
is it not to vow, than to vow and not the violation of them.  Especially
perform.   So  Solomon  exhQrts; let us remember that in making a'When thou vowest a vow  unto profession of religion, we have vowGod, defer not to pay it, for he hath ed to be the Lord's in a perpetual
no pleasure in fools. Pay that which covenant (of love, trust, and obedithou hast vowed.' Even though the ence. We have opened our mouths
rigid observance of our vows should to him, and now we cannot go back
subject us to great sacrifices, expense, without the shipwreck of truth, honand trouble, yet the obligation should or, conscience, and probably of salbe considered sacred, and the attempt vation. Again therefore we say, let
to set them aside by the plea of in- us be faithful to covenant engageadvertence or of difficulty in the per- menats. (3) Others' sorrows should.be
formance will only serve to bring our own, and by partaking we should
upon us the heavy displeasure of seek to alleviate them. So was it with
God. If Jephthah, after having pre- the companions of Jephthah's daughcipitately bound himself by a solemn ter, and so should it be with the sons




168                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1143.
passedst thou  over to  fight thee? we will burn thine house
against the children of Ammon, upon thee with fire.
and didst not call us to go with  2 And Jephthah said unto
and daughters of the true Israel, in and turbulent disposition of the Ephall ages and climes.              raimites.  They had no just ground
whatever for their present bitter
CHAPTER  XII.             crimination of Jephthah.  Their
1. The men of Ephraim gathered jealous and envious spirit towards
themselves together. Heb. A'p ~i)   Manasseh, was the only cause of the
u'mlts[ yitztzetk ish Ephrayim, the injurious charge, and Violent threat
man of Eplhraim was cried together; which they now uttered.  Although
collective singular for the plural; from being both the sons of Joseph
i. e. summoned together by the voice they were nearer akin than any other
of heralds passing to and fro through of the tribes, yet between none other
the tribe. The passive voice in Heb. of the tribes was there such a burnoften has a reciprocal import, and ing spirit of rivalry and disaffection
here probably is intended to convey as between them.  The conduct of
the idea of a mutual stirring each the Ephraimites on this occasion,
other up, independent of the will of a compared with their complaints to
superior, and a consequent flocking Joshua, and their hostile attitude totogether in somewhat of a loose and wards Gideon, clearly evinces a distumultuary manner. With this as position to lord it qver the other
the leading idea of the passage be- tribes, with an authority and prefore his mind, Jerome, in the Vul- eminence to which they were cergate, has rendered it,' And there tainly not yet entitled. We are rearose a sedition in Ephraim;' on minded by the incidents of the narwhich Rosenmtiller remarks, thathe rative, (1) That quarrels between
took the Heb. verb to imply that by brethren are usually most bitter and
mutual clamor and vociferation they violent.' A  brother offended is
excited themselves to sedition and harder to be won than a strong city;
tumult.-~ Went nor'thward. Heb. and their contentions are as the bars
MI=:Y'    y'n yaabor tzaphlonmh, pass- of a castle.'  (2) They who have
ed over northward.  Crossing the done the greatest service to the cause
Jordan, they advanced in a northerly of God, are not secure from  the
direction towards Mizpeh, where greatest insults, even sometimes from
Jephthah now was. This region lay the pretended friends of that cause.
to the northeast, rather than directly The most spotless characters are
north of the territory of Ephraim. often the chosen marks for the fangs
See map.-IT Wherefore passedst of envy to fasten upon.
thou over, &c. Not over Jordan, for   2. And Jephthah said unto them, &e
he was on the farther side of that Jephthah's answ-er, at once firm but
river already; but simply over the temperate, shows that their charge
intermediate regions between  him  was as false as malicious; that he
and the scene of conflict. We have had called them, and they refused to
here a second proof of the haughty come.  The greatest boasters an




B. C. 1143.]           CHAPTER  XII.                           169
them, I and my people were at my  hands, and  passed  over
great strife with the children of against the children of Ammon,
Ammon; and when I called you, and the LORD delivered  them
ye delivered me not out of their into my hand: wherefore then
hands.                            are ye come up unto me this
3 And when I saw that ye de- day, to fight against me?
livered me not, I b put my life in   4 Then Jephthah gathered tob 1 Sam. 19. 5, and 28. 21. Job 13. 14. Ps. gether all the men of Gilead,
119. 109.                         and fought with Ephraim: and
loudest pretenders are usually the precious-in his hands, and that ungreatest cowards; and they who are der circumstances of great danger.
themselves most in fault, are often When a son who has been long abprone to shield themselves, by accus- sent returns home, his father says,
ing the innocent.-~Ialnd my peo- "My son has returned from the far
ple zwere at great strife, &c. Heb.' I country with his life in his hand;"
was a man of strife, and my people, which means, he has passed through
and the children of Ammon greatly.' many dangers.  "Last night as I
As if he had said,'Although the went home through the place of evil
quarrel was chiefly between us Gile- spirits, I put my life in my hands."
adites and the Ammonites, and not " The other day in passing through
between you and them, yet out of re- the forest, I put my life in my hands,
spect to you as brethren and confede- for the beasts were near to me in
rates, i gave you an invitation to every direction."  " Danger! truly
join our forces, yet you declined.' In so; I put my life in my bosom." " O
reality, therefore, he had more cause that divine doctor! my son was at
to condemn them for their indiffer- the point of death, but he brought his
ence to the fate of their brethren, li'e in his hand."'-Roberts.  The
than they him for taking the field same phrase occurs 1 Sam. 19. 5,
without them. Reason is very apt and 28. 21; Job 13. 14; Ps. 119. 109.
to forsake those who renounce right. - ff Wherefore then' are ye come up
-~1'Ye delivered me not out of their uPnto me this day, to fight against mze?
zhacnds.  That is, ye strove not, ye If God was pleased to give me the
attempted not, ye did not what in you victory without you, and so far to
lay, to deliver me. See Note on Gen. make use of me for his glory, why
37. 21. It is not to be supposed that should you be offended' Should not
his deliverance and success were your resentment ratherbecome gratisuspended eqtirely upon their efforts tude, that you were spared both labor
in his behalf.                    and danger. Have you any reason
3. I put my life in my hands. Heb. to fight against me!  Is it not in'Z= bekappi, inJ my palm. A strong effect to sin against God, in whose
orientalism, implying,' I risked my hand I have been only an unworthy
life in a seemingly desperate under- instrument?
taking.'' The Hindoos use the same   4. Then Jephthah gathered together,
figure; and the idea seems to be taken &c. Finding all his remonstrances
from a man carrying something very vain, ardt;1U rcAh.raimites intent upon
15




170                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1143.
the men of Gilead smote Ephra- Ephraimrites: and it was so, that
im, because they said, Ye Gile- when those Ephraimites which
adites c are fugitives of Ephraim  were escaped, said, Let me go
among  the  Ephraimites,  and over; that the men of Gilead
among the M/anassites.   ~        said  unto  him, Art thou  an
5 And the Gileadites took the  Ephraimite?  If he said, NaTay;
d passages of Jordan before the   6 Then  said they unto him,
c See 1 Sam, 25. 10. Ps. 78. 9. d Josh. Sa now Shibboleth: and he
22. 11. ch. 3. 28, and 7. 24.     said Sibboleth: for he could not
a quarrel, he was prompted, perhaps was inte'rmediate between Eplyainm
under the influence of undue excite- and 2Manasse]b, are probably to be enment, to undertake to chastise their closed in a parenthesis, intimating
insolence. It is, at any rate, extreme- that Jephthah's army had taken a
ly difficult to justify such a signal position between their own territory,
revenge, though it be admitted that and that of Ephraim, probably at the
the provocation was very great. Even fords of the Jordan, in order to cut
good men often lack the self-com- off their retreat.  Accordingly it is
mnand which would enable them to said in the next verse, as we would
bear with becoming calmness the in- translate the words,''For the Gileadgratitude and calumny of others, and ites had taken the passages of the
in a just cause are apt to be hurried Jordan,' &c. As the successive comon by their passions to unwarrantable panics of the Ephraimites approachlengths. — ~Ye Gileadites arefugi- ed the banks of the stream, to pass
tives of Ephraim, &c.  From  the over into their own country, we supambiguity of the original, it is not pose they were addressed in the maneasy to ascertain precisely where the ner above mentioned by the Gileadpoint of this reproach lies. Accord- ites. Still the clause is one of very
ing to the present translation, it is an dubious import.
insulting intimation that the Gilead-   5. Those Ephlraimites whic]h weqre
ites were the very scum and refuse escaped. Heb. C't  ~Dbt) pelite
of the two tribes here mentioned; but EpAhrayim, the fugitives of Ephraim;
the following may be proposed as a precisely the same phrase with that
more correct rendering of the He- occurring in the verse above, and
brew;'And the men of Gilead smote  confirming the interpretation there
Ephraim, because they (the Gilead- given. WTe consider the drift of the
ites) said, Ye are fugitives of Ephra- writer in v. 5, 6, to be, to state in
im;' i. e. a mere party, a remnant fuller detail, and with, some addiof the whole tribe, who have come tional particulars, the circumstances
hither without being sent, to molest of the slaughter mentioned, v. 4.
and insult us, whereas the majority   6. Say now  Shibbolet]h; and he
of the tribe would be more just and said Sibbolethb. The original differs
generous than to treat us in this only in the first letter,: sanmech, inmanner. The ensuing words, 25:  stead of Mt sheen. It is well known
N?20 JilitnDlIn3 R lP    I=Gilad bethok that several nations cannot proyl'hrayim bethok MenassWh, Gilead nounce certain letters. The sound




B. C. 1143.]             CHAPTER  XII.                             171
frame  to  pronounce  it right.  And there fell at that time of the
Then they took him  and slew  Ephraimites forty and two thouhim  at the passages of Jordan. sand.
of th, so famniliar to English organs, pronunciation, and so probably does
cannot be pronounced by the people every other country.-~ He could
of some European countries, nor by notfr ame to pronounce it r'ig'ht. Heb.
the  Persians, though  a  common  t: C.:) 1Ne'    5 lo ydkin ledabber
sound among the Arabians. To this krln, he' did not dir'ect to speak it so;
day, many of the German Jews can- i. e. so as he was required. The
not articulate this sound in readink original does not say that he could
their own Hebrew  Scriptures, but not, but that he did not; because,
substitute ss, as baiss for baith, a perhaps, not suspecting the design,
house, bereshiss lor bereshith, the be- he may have uttered it rapidly in his
ginniing.  It hasbeen remarkedalso, usual manner.   Still the present
that s/c, which is entirely wanting in  translation is by no means a bad one.
many languages, is of pec uliarly dif- - ~TAnd slew him.  The predomi
ficult pronunciation to persons whose nant usage of the original is in reorgans have not in childhood been ference to that kind of slaughter which
inured to it. The word chosen by was common in the case of animal
the Gideonites as a test-word, signi- victims offered upon the altar; i. e.
fies ear of corn, and also a stream, by cuttling the throat, jsgulatio~n; as
and was, perhaps, suggested by being if they amade the inability of the orthe name of the object immediately  gans of speech in the throat to utter
before them, the river on the banks certain sounds, a pretence for putting
of which they stood.' Sibboleth,'on  them  to death in this manner. In
the other hand, denotes a bturden, and  view of the means here adopted by
how these different objects were dis- the Gdileadites for detecting the fugitinguished in the pronunciation of tives of Ephraim, we can scarcely
the Ephraimites, it is difficult to say. fail to reflect how  closely they reDifferences of pronunciation, how- semble those tests or standards of
ever, even among those speaking the uniformity in religion, which under
same language, or the same dialect, the pretence of promoting brotherly
are nothing extraordinary.. In later union are often made the means of
times, Peter was easily distinguished  persecution and exclusion. " Say
as a Galilean in Pilate's hall by his now Shibboleth:" say exactly as we
pronunciation, Mark. 14. 70, and say, hold exactly aswe hold, without
travellers in the East inform us, that the liberty to vary a single letter in
the Arabic of Cairo, of Aleppo, and your profession of faith, or we canof Bagdad, is so different, that one not let you pass for a Christian at
who has made himself master of this all. May God teach us a better way
language in one of these cities, can- of communion, a more comprehennot, without great difficulty, under- sive standard of truth    May He
stand or be understood in the others. give us at once the spirit of a sound
England itself offers considerable va' mind, and the feelings of a charitariety both of dialect and modes of j ble heart!-.    Therefell-for'ty and




172                         JUDGES                     [B. C. 1137.
7 And Jephthah judged Israel thirty daughters whom  he sent
six years: then died Jephthah  abroad, and took in thirty daughthe Gileadite, and was buried in ters from  abroad for his sons:
one of the cities of Gilead.       and he judged Israel seven years.
8 IT And after him  Ibzan of   10 Then died Ibzan, and was
Beth-lehem judged Israel.          buried at Beth-lehem.
9 And he had thirty sons and   11 IT And after him  Elon, a
two thousand.  Heb. Vl1=1  -''~ -falling to pieces, is a part of the sto~5M arbaim  ushtenayint aleph.  As ry which is wisely passed over in
the Hebrew mode of enumeration silence.  The phraseology is doubtis peculiar, the copulative I van  less idiomatic, the plural being put
here may perhaps imply simply ad- for the singular, as Gen. 19. 29, where
dition, so that the sum will be 2,040 Lot is said to have dwelt,'in the
instead of 42,000. At the last cen- cities,' i. e. in one of the cities. So
sus, Num. 26. 37, the whole tribe of Jonah 1. 5, the sides of the ship apEphraim  only amounted to 32,500, pears to denote one of the sides.
compared with which the last num-   8. Ibzan of Beth-lehew. The Bethher appears far too great; especially  lehem here mentioned, if we may beas it is reasonable to believe that on- lieve Josephus, was that in the tribe
ly a part of the tribe crossed the Jor- of Judah, and not that in Zebulun,
dan on this expedition.            of which see Josh. 19. 5. The Jewish
7. Was buried in one of the cities critics, for the most part, consider
of Gilead.  Heb.;)>0'": bedai this Ibzan to have been the same perGil&d, in the cities of Gilead.  A  son with Boaz, spoken of in the book
curious specimen of Rabbinical con- of Ruth; but the opinion rests upon
ceit and of the not unfrequent style conjecture alone.  Nothing memoof their exposition, is afforded in rable is related of him  except the
Rashi's remarks upon these words. circumstance mentioned in the next
From him we learn that the ancient verse.
Jewish doctors maintained that Jeph-   9. Had thirty  sons and  thir'ty
thah, as a punishment for putting his dalglhlters.  Where polygamy was
daughter to death, was visited by a practised, such a numerous progeny
disease that loosened the joints of the is not surprising. Parallel instances
different limbs and members of his in modern times are recited in abunbody, and caused them to fall offone dance  by  eastern  travellers. -
after another, from time to time, as IT Whom he sent abroad. Or, Heb.
he was passing to and fro over the it1tll hta'hntzah, out of doors. That
country, and that they were buried is, disposed of in marriage to other
separately, wherever they happened families.  Hence the Vulg. parato drop, so that when he died, it phrastica]ly, but  not incorrectly,
could be said, from this general dis-' Whom he sending abroad gave to
tribution of his members, that he was husbands;' and so in the ensuing'buried in the cities of Gilead!' But clause,' Took wives for his sons of
how a man could be in a travelling the same number, bringing them incondition, while his body was thus to his house.'  Ibzan's lot, in this




B. C. 1130.]             CHAPTER  XIII.                          173
Zebulonite, judged Israel, and lel the Pirathonite died, and was
he judged Israel ten years.        buried in Pirathon in the land
12 And Elon the Zebulonite  of Ephraim, fin the mount of
died, and was buried in Aijalon  the Amalekites.
in the country of Zebulun.
13 IT And after him Abdon the           CHAPTER  XIII.
son- of Hillel, a  Pirathonite,  A  ND  the children of Israel
judged Israel.                      1  did evil again in the sight
14 And he had forty sons and  of the LORD; and the LORD dethirty nephews, that erode on livered them  b into the hand of
threescore  and ten  ass colts: the Philistines forty years.
and he judged Israel eight years.   e ch. 5. 10, and 10. 4. f ch. 3.13, 27, and 5.
15 And Abdon the son of Hil- 14. a ch. 2. 11, and 3. 7. and 4. 1, and 6. 1,
and 10. 6. b 1 Sam. 12. 9.
respect, contrasted strikingly with  leaven of their idolatrous propensithat of his predecessor Jephthah.    ties was secretly working and pre14. Thirtynephews. That is, grand- paring them for new troubles in the
sons; Heb. ten: Age  bene bienim, end. As to these several judges, the
sons, of sons. On the opulence and dig- principal fact mentioned in regard to
nity implied in riding upon white each is, that he lived, acted as judge,
asses, see ch. 5. 10, and 10. 4.   and died. Death, the lot of man, at
15. In the mount of the Amalekites. last claims his due of the great and
For a probable account of the reason the good, and whatever else we may
why this place was so called, see on hear of any man, we are sure to hear
ch. 5. 14. It does not appear certain one thing —that he died: unless inthat any thing remarkable took place deed our own departure hence antiin the civil state of the Israelites, cipates his.
during the time of these latter judges,
though  Lightfoot supposes, with           CHAPTER XIII.
some  plausibility, that the forty   1. Did evil again.  Heb. 11B""
years' oppression of the Philistines'11)t yosiphu laaseth, added to concommenced in the days of Elon the mit; i. e. by apostatizing from God's
Zebulonite, and was gradually wax- pure worship and falling into idolaing more and more severe through try.  See on ch. 3. 7, and 6. 11, and
the subsequent administrations. Pre- 10. 6.-   r Delivered them into the
vious, however, to the birth of Sam- hand of the Philistines forty years.
son, it had not gained sufficient head This period is not to be understood
to make it worthy of particular re- as constituting an interregnum  becord in the inspired narrative. But tween Abdon and Samson, for this
it has been well remarked, that the would not consist with the chronolo.
happiest life of individuals, and the gy given 1 Kings, 6. 1, or with the
happiest state of society, is that which intimation v. 5 below, that the Israelaffords the fewest remarkable events. ites were already suffering under the
The people, in the main, enjoyed rod of the Philistines when Samson
peace without, and freedom  from  was raised up for a deliverer.  The
discord and sedition, though still the probability is, as Samson is said to
15*




174                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1161.
2 IT And there was a certain appeared unto the woman, and
man of c Zorah, of the family of said unto her, Behold, now, thou
the Danites, whose name was art barren, and bearest not: but
Manoah;  and  his  wife  was thou shalt conceive, and bear a
barren, and bare not.             son.
3 And the dangel of the LORD   4 Now  therefore  beware, I
c Josh. 19. 41 d ch. 6. 12. Luke 1. 11, pray thee, and e drink not wine,
13, 28, 31.                          e ver. 14. Num. 6. 2, 3. Luke 1. 15.
have'judged Israel twenty years in child.' John 1. 3,'All things were
the days of the Philistines,' i. e. dur- made by him, and without him was
ing the period of their ascendency, not any thing made that was made.'
that the other twenty is to be taken v. 20,'And he confessed, and denied
out of the times of the previous not.''If Manoah's wife had not
judges, which will carry us up at been barren, the angel had not been
least to the time of Elon, as suggest- sent to her. Afflictions have this aded by Lightfoot, ch. 12. 15, for the vantage, that they occasion God to
commencement of their oppression. show that mercy to us, whereof the
In order to gain a still fuller view of prosperous are incapable.' Bp. Hall.
the chain of events here recorded we   3. The angel of the Lord. The
must revert back to ch. 10. 6, 7, where uncreated angel, the Angel Jehoit is said that the Lord was angry vah, so often spoken of in the prewith his people,' and sold them into ceding narrative, and who appeared
the hands of the Philistines and into to Moses, to Joshua, to Gideon, and
the hands of the children of Ammon.' others. Evidence of this will disOf these two servitudes, the last, with close itself as we proceed.
the deliverance from it by Jephthah,   4. Beware-drink not wine, &c.
is treated first.  This occupies the As the child, whose birth was now
two preceding chapters.   Having announced, was to be a Nazarite from
dispatched that, the historian now  the womb, the mother herself was to
returns back and takes up the history be subjected to the law of the Nazaof the other oppression, and brings it rites, that the sanctification of her son
down to the death of Samson.      might commence from herself: She
2. A certain man of Zora. Of the must, during the period of gestation
city of Zora; a town in the tribe of and nursing, abstain from wine and
Judah, but afterwards given to Dan, every inebriating liquor, and all
being situated near the confines of kinds of forbidden food.  Things
each tribe. Josh. 15. 33.-1~ Of the that would he lawful at another time,
family of the Danites. That is, of were to be refrained from now. The
the tribe of Dan.  The word is pro- nourishment of her child would parperly a collective singular for the take of the qualities of her own, and
plural.-  ~ Was barren and bare not. this future deliverer of Israel must
An emphatic repetition in varied be in the strictest manner and through
phrase, of frequent occurrence in the every period an example of separasacred writers. Thus Gen. 11. 30, tion and consecration to God. As it' But Sarai was barren; she had no was designed also that he should be a




B. C. 1161.]            CHAPTER  XIII.                            175
nor strong  drink, and  eat not child shall be ga Nazarite unto
any unclean thing:                  God from  the womb: and he
5 For lo, thou shalt conceive, shall h begin to deliver Israel out
and bear a son; and no f razor of the hand of the Philistines.
shall come onl his head: for the   gNum. 6.2. hSee Sam. 7.13. 2 Sa.
f Nuam. 6. 5. 1 Sam. 111. I Chron. 18. 1.
person of superhuman strength, there ental usage at the present day affords
%was perhaps a fitness in the mother's a striking parallel to what is here
temperance as a  atwural Kmeans to recorded.'All who are married in
produce this result, though a mira- the East,' says Mr. Roberts,' have an
culous agency was requisite over intense desire for children. It is conand above all other means whatever. sidered disgraceful, and a mark of' The mother must conceive the on- the displeasure of the gods, to have
Iv giant of Israel, and yet must drink a childless house. Under these cirbut water; neither must the child cumstances, husbands and wivespertouch any other cup. Never wine form expensive ceremonies; and vow
made so strong a champion as water that should the gods favor them with
did here.  He that gave that power a son,' no razor shall come upon his
to the grape, can give it to the stream. head,' (i. e. except upon the'corners,')
o God, how justly do we raise our until he shall be ten or twelve years
eyes from our tables unto thee, which  of age. In all schools, boys may be
canst make water nourish and wine seen with elf-locks of ten or twelve
enfeeble us!' Bp. Hall.-fEat not years' standing, giving a testimony
any unclean thing.  Unclean meats to the solicitude, superstition, and
were forbidden to all Israelites at all affection of the parents, and a metimes; but especially and pre-emi- morial of the favor of the gods.ontly so to the Nazarite, Lev. 11. 1.- fHe shall begin to deliver Israel. This
47. It was perhaps solely for this intimated  that Israel's oppression
reason that the precept was repeated should endure long; for deliverance
at this time and on this occasion; from it was not so much as to begin,
thouah Scott supposes, not unrea- not even the first step to be taken,
sonably, that the distinction of meats till this child, now unborn, should
was not strictly observed at this time, grow up to years of maturity and beas otherwise she would scarcely have come capable of undertaking it. And
needed such caution.                even then he was not to complete the
5. No razor shall corre on his head, deliverance; he was only to begin it;
Heb. 11V     M. Ir.  yaalMh al rosho, for the yoke of the Philistines was
shall go up on his head. The hair of not fully shaken off the neck of Ishis head shall neither be shorn nor rael till the time of David. Thus
shaven.  Of this part of the Naza-'God carries on his work gradually,
rite's vow, see on Num. 6.-~ For and by several hands. One lays the
z/le child shall be a Nczarite unto God foundation of a good work, another
frnct the womb. For a full account builds, and perhaps a third brings
of this peculiar feature of the Mo- forth the top-stone.' Henry. Christ
saic institute, see on Num. 6.-Ori- on the other hand, the grea' counter



176                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1161
6 If Then the woman came and thou shalt conceive, and bear a
told her husband, saying,'A man son; and now  drink no wine
of God came unto me, and his nor strong drink, neither eat any
kcountenance was like the coun- unclean  thing:  for  the  child
tenance of an angel of God, very shall be a Nazarite to God from
terrible: but I'asked him  not the womb to the day of his death.
whence he was, neither told he   8 If Then  Manoah  entreated
me his name:                       the LORD, and said, O my Lord,
7 But he said unto me, Behold, let the man of God which thou
i Dent. 33. 1. I Sam. 2. 27, and 9 6. 1didst send come again unto us,
Kings 17: 24. k Matt. 28. 3. Luke 9. 29. and teach us what we shall do
Acts 6. 15. 1 ver. 17, 18.         unto the child that shall be born.
part of Samson, both begins and per- duty. He may have thought it posfects his people's salvation; he is at sible, too, that his wife's joy for the
once the Author and Finisher of promise should have made her forget
faith.                             some part of the charge which the
6. A man of God. So called be- angel~ connected  with it.  On this
cause he appeared in human form, point he would be fully informed; he
leading her to suppose him merely a dreads the possibility of a mistake.
prophet sentfrom God. So afterwards' When I see the strength of Mav. 8, 10, 11. She seems, however, to noah's faith, I marvel not that he had
have had a strong suspicion that he a Samson to his son; he saw not the
was something more than human. messenger, he heard not the errand,
--       Ver'y terrible. Rather, perhaps, he examined not the circumstances;
venerable, awful, full of majesty; yet now he takes thought, not whether
such as at once to inspire the deep- he should have a son, but how he
est respect and reverence; so that shall order the son which he must
according to every idea she could have. Zecharias had the same mesJorm on the subject, his countenance sage, and craving a sign lost the
very much resembled that of an an- voice wherewith he craved it: Magel.                               noah seeks no sign for the promise,
8. Let the man of God-come again but counsel for himself. Happy are
rento us, and teach us, &c. Josephus they that have not seen, yet believed:
represents the second appearance of true faith takes all for granted, yea,
the angel as essential to Manoah's for performed, that is promised.'
peace of mind, as his excessive at- BSp. Hall. The petition of Manoah
tachment to his wife made him jeal- reminds us also that the care of chilous of her conversation with a stran- dren is a great'concern, and that those
ger. But the narrative contains no- who have the parental relation in
thing to *arrant such an insinuation. prospect can make no more suitable
On the other hand, his request ap- prayer at the throne of grace than
pears to have been prompted by a that of the pious Danite on this occastrong faith and a high esteem of the sion. Who upon the eve of become
promised blessing, and a sincere de- ing parents have not need to say,
sire to receive farther intimations of as said Manoah,: Teach us what




B. C. 1161.]           CHAPTER  XIII.                          177
9 And God hearkened to the that came unto me the other day.
voice of M/lanoah; and the angel  11 And  Manoah  arose, and
of God came again unto the wo- went after his wife, and came to
man as she sat in the field: but the man, and said unto him, Art
MIanoah her husband was not thou the man that spakest unto
with her.                         the woman? And he said, I am.
10 And the woman made haste,  12 And Manoah said, -Now let
and ran, and showed her hus- thy words come to pass.  How
band, and said unto him, Behold, shall we order the child, and
the man hath appeared unto me, how shall we do unto him?
we shall do to the child that shall entreating the mnessenger to stay, and
be born.'                         obtaining his consent. Those who
9. And God hearkened —and tle have met with a refreshing visit from
ang-el of God came again.  The God cannot but instinctively exclaim,
phraseology here is worthy of notice.'Return, 0 God of hosts, return;' and
The sacred writer does not say,'And when the favor is granted, how arGod hearkened to the voice of Ma- dently do they long that those who
noah, and sent his angel,' but'God are near and dear to them may also
hearkened to the voice of Manoah, share in the comfort and sweetness
and the angel of God came again,' of their divine communion.  What
implying that it was the God who is the fellowship of husbands and
hearkened to the voice of his servant wives-if it extend not to a mutual
that came in.;the person of his Son. communication of each other's reliHe perhaps appeared to Manoah's gious experience, of their hopes and
wife a second time rather than to fears, joys and sorrows?
Manoah himself, because she was   12. Let thy words come to pass.
mnore especially interested both in the This clause, as it reads in our transblessing and the charge than he was. lation, is simply the expression of an
He may also have had other reasons earnest wish, that the promise graunknown to us. The divine conde- ciously made to his wife may be fulscension in granting a repetition of filled. It is a kind of pious amen to
the visit is too striking to be over- the angel's previous announcement;
looked. Hour clearly does it prove and this was probably his real feelthat nothing is more acceptable to ing,; but the Heb, may properly be
God, than a sincere desire to know  rendered,' and now thy words shall
our duty, and that sooner than our come to pass,' intimating his most
prayers to that effect shall go unan- implicit confidence in the promise.
swered, a heavenly messenger shall' Lord, I lay hold upon what thou
be sent for our instruction.  But hast said, and depend upon it with
thanks be to God. with the Bible and. the most unwavering assurance.'the Holy Spirit for our guides we  ItIowvl shall we order the child, and how
have no need of angelic instructions shall we do uanto him?  Heb.' what
to direct us what to do.          shall be the rule, prescription, insti10. Anid the woman made haste and tution,(=titP=  mishpot,) in regard to
ran, &c. Doubtless after humbly  the child, and what our doing (VI=S=




178                          JUDGES.                     [B, C, 1161.
13 And the angel of the LORD   15 If And Manoah said unto
said unto Manoah, Of all that I the angel of the LORD, I pray
said unto the woman, let her thee7 nlet us detain thee, until
beware.                             we shall have made ready a kid
14 She may not eat of any  for thee.
thing that cometh of the vine,   16 And the angel of the LORD
m neither let her drink wine or said unto Manoah, Though thou
strong drink, nor eat any unclean  detain me, I will not eat of thy.
thing: all that I commanded her bread: and if thou wilt offer. a
let her observe..                  burnt-offering, thou must offer it
m Ver. 4.                    n Gen. 18. 5. ch. 6. 18.
mcasleu,) towards him' That is, were laid upon her, the inference
what shall be his training? how shall would be very fair, that he also was
we educate him I The former term, to be taught to govern himself by the
which is usually translated judgment same rules, and it was the duty of
or ordinance, seems to imply the di-. his parents to see that this was the
vine disposition or purpose in regard  case. In fact it was this that constito the child, and the latter the proper tuted the very essence of his Nazamode of e.xecutin7g or accomsplishingit rite state.  The directions, therefore,
on their part. Though the literal relative to the child were really inrendering of 1]Y12  is his work, or. volved in those that had respect to
doing, yet the import is obviously  the mother, and it would require no
what is done to or towards him, just  far-fetched construction so to underas inGen. 50. 4, the phrase,' days of stand them. The diviiie injunctions
his mourning,' means the days of are not always given in the most dimourzning for him. So also Job 41. rect form, but to a heart rightly dis9.' The hope of him (the leviathan) posed, they are always intelligible.
is vain,' i. e. the hope of taking him.   15. Until we shallt lave made ready
13. And the angel of the Lo'rd said, a kid for thee. Heb. 7~~5  leponarkha,
&c. It might seem at first view that before thee.  Not yet aware of the
the angel's answer was not pertinent true character of his visitor, Manoah
to the question. Manoah inquired proposed this as an act of hospitality.
what condluct they should observe in   16. I will not eat of thly bread. As
regard to the chlild; the angel in his the proffer of Manoah was to serve
reply merely reiterates the charge he up for the angel a dish of kid's flesh,
had before given in respect to the the term' bread' here must be taken
molher.  In explanation we may re- with some latitude to signify food in
mark, that the child to be born was general; a sense which it evidently
to be a Nazarite, set apart and conse- bears, 2 Kings 6. 22, 23; Matt. 6. 11.
crated to God.'Until the period of - I. And if tthoui wilt oqer a bulrnthis birth, therefore, and while at the o#rering. Rather,' but if thou wilt
breast, she was, foir his sake, to ab- ofibr,' &c.  To us this part of the anstain from  ill the things inhibited gel's answer seems to be made, not
above. But if it was solely for the so much to what Manoah actually
child's sake that these commands said, as to what he was inwardly re,




B.. 1161.]            CHAPTER  XIII,                          179
unto the LoaRD.  For Manoah   17 And Manoah said unto the
knew not that he was an antel angel of the LORD, What is thy
of the LORD.                      name, that when  thy sayings
volving in his own mind.  If we to offer him a sacrifice as such, or
mistake not, he had by this time be- while he was not in possession of
gun to entertain suspicions that the fufll evidence that the being he thus
personage with whom he was con- proposed to honor was indeed divine,
versing was truly divine; and if so, This evidence he had not yet gained,
he could not but be aware that a sa- and therefore it is immediately added,
crificial offering was a more suitable'For Manoah knew not (had not a
expression of the sentiments with clear conviction) that it was an angel
which he ought to regard him, than (rather, the angel) of the Lord;' i. e.
a common meal; and as the tradition the Angel-Jehovah; but he was soon
of Gideon's offering under similar to be assured that he was.  The
circumstances at a former period, whole address of the angel appears
and the manner of his reception, had to be framed with reference to the
doubtless come down to him, he ap- manifestation  which he was just
pears to have been at this time wa- about to make.
vering in his own mind, like his re-   17 Whet is thy mnaze   Heb.
nowned predecessor, as to  what I=' et: mqi shemreki, who is tLhy
should be the real character of the name?  Name, in reference to the
offering that he now proposed to Supreme Being, is in Scripture style
make. The angel perceiving this, very much the same as nature; and
answers him accordingly. He does we suppose this to be the real drift
not forbid him to present a burnt- of Manoah's question, to learn the
offering,'but he would have him do nature, the essential character of the
it intelligently; he would have him  mysterious being whom he addressassured as to the true character of ed; for that he regarded him as a
the object of his worship. In saying, superhuman personage cannot, we' If thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, think, be doubted from an attentive
thou must offer it unto the Lord,' he examination of the passage. At any
does not deny that he.was himself rate, the answer of'the angel, as we
Jehovah, or intimate that he would shall see, was adapted to such a scope
decline the honor which Manoah in Manoah's interrogation. That he
intended, any more than our Saviour was prompted by somewhat of an unwould intimate that he was not good, hallowed curiosity in making the
when, being addressed by the title inquiry is indeed supposed by many'good master,' he replied,' there is commentators, but we see nothing in
none good but God.' In both cases the text to warrant it. On the other
his answer has reference to the state hand, we know no reason to doubt
of mind of the speaker, or to tie ligzt that he was really actuated by the
in which they regarded him7. Here motive assigned, a disposition to renhe merely intended to say, that der him due honor andI thanks when
though he might offer him a common the promise should be fulfilled.
meal as a man, yet it would not do   18. WhIy askest thou hus after my




180                          JUDGES                     [B. C. 1161.
come to pass, we may do thee  said unto him, ~Whyaskest thou
honor?                              thus after my name, seeing it is
18 And the angel of the LoRD secret?
o Gen. 32. 29.'name seeing it is secret?  This has which went far towards conveying
at firnt blush the air of a rebuke for an idea of the divine attributes of his
putting such a question; but compar- nature, and one which was therefore
ing it with what follows we imagine  eminently appropriate to the drift of
it is such in appearance only. A re- Manoah's question.  The implicabuke supposes something criminal tion probably is,'You have scarcely
or censurable in hinl who is the sub- any real occasion to inquire as to
ject of it, But AWhat offence could  my name (nature); it is obvious
attach to a respectful and reverential from the words, promises, and acquestion of this kind'. Why was the tions already witnessed and yet furmere secresy of the name a reason for ther to be displayed, that I am, and
its not being asked!  Was it not in am  therefore to be called Peli, tthe
fact for this very reason that he did Admirable One, the great Worker of
ask it'  We admit, indeed, that if wonders, the MIasler of miracles.'
Manoah had been previously infobrm- The original "Ncnt has theform of a
ed that the name was inefable-that proper name, but the force of an apit was designed to be kept a profound pellative. Whether he fully undersecret-he would have been guilty stood its entire import, is perhaps to
of high presumption in demanding be doubted; but whether he did or
it. But we seeno evidence ofthisin  not, the declaration is to us, ronany part of the sacred text, and con- sidered in one point of view, irmelude therefore that the angel made mensely important; for by assuming
use of this interrogative form  of a title which unquestionably belongs
speech merely in order to introduce to the promised Messiah, he identifies
in the most suitable and impressive himself with that divine personage,
manner the declaration that follows, and consequently puts it beyond a
constituting the real point of his re- doubt who it is that is meant by the
ply.' It is secret;' —or rather as in term'Angel,' or'Angel of the Lord,'
the margin,' It is wonderful,' for so so frequently occurring in the Old
the original (NR5t pelt,) properly  Testament Scriptures, in connection
implies, and so it is expressly ren- with miraculous appearances and
dered, Is. 9. 6,'His name shall be revelations.  It is plain that it is no
called Wonder'ful (tRT pelte); i. e. his other than the Angel-Jehovah, so
nature, his character, shall be won- emphatically alluded to in Ex. 23.
derful; properly implying that kind 20, 21,'Behold I send an Angel beof wonder which is the natural effect fore thee, to keep thee in the way,
of mniracles, of mar'vellous and sutper- and to bring thee into the place which
human worBos.  In apparently declin- I have prepared. Beware of him,
ing, therefore, to reveal his name, he -and obey his voice, provoke him
does in fact make known one of his not; for he will not pardon Vour
most august and glorious titles, one transgressions; for my name is in




B. C. C. 1161.]          CHAPTER  XIII.                           181
19 So Manoah took a kid, with  it, and q fell on their faces to the
a meat-offering, P and offered it ground.
upon a rock unto the LORD; and   21 But the angel of the LORD
the angel did wondrously, and  did no.more appear to Manoah.
Manoah and his wife looked on. and to his wife. r Then Manoah
20 For it came to pass, when  knew  that he was an angel of
the flame went up toward heav- the LORD.
en from  off the altar, that the   22 And Manoah said unto his
angel  of the  LORD  ascended  wife, We shall surely die, bein the flame of the altar, and  cause we have seen God.
Manoah and his wife looked on   q Lev. 9. 24. 1 Chron. 21. 16. Ezek. 1.
28. Matt. 17.6. r ch. 6.22. s Gen. 32. 30.
P ch. 6. 19, 20.       Ex. 33. 20. Deut.5.26. ch. 6. 22.
him;' i. e. my nature is in him; he did wondrously.  HIeb. sIItor   mapossesses true and essential divinity. phlia; in correspondence with the
The  exalted  character, therefore, name which he had before attributed
which he claimed by the assumption to himself. Being wonderful, he perof this title, he proceeded to display formed wonderful things; probably
still more fully in the incident that causing fire to arise out of the rock,
followed.                          and consume the sacrifice; and we
19. Mlanoah took a kid-and offeed are expressly told that he afterwards
it, &c. He had by this time become ascended in the flame. The word
so far satisfied as to the real charac-' angel,' it is true, does not occur in
ter of his guest, that he no longer the original, but from  the tenor of
doubted in what manner to express the narrative there can be no doubt
his grateful and reverential feelings who is intended.
towards him. He determines to do   21. Then _Manoah knew that he was
this by offering the kid as a holocaust an angel of the Lord.  Rather,' that
accompanied with the usual meal or he was the angel;' the divine unflour-offering, (erroneously rendered created angel; the Angel-Jehovah.'meat-offering,') which the law pre- He was now fully and und undoubtingly
scribed. For this purpose he selects assured.  This put the finishing
a rock, as did Gideon upon a like oc- stroke to the process of conviction
casion, ch. 6. 20. 21, instead of an  which from the commencement of
altar. Large masses of strone, of va- the interview  had been going on in
rious forms, some of which are well Manoah's mind.
adapted to such a use, frequently oc-   22. We shall surely die, because we
cur in the plains and valleys of Ju- have seen God.  Perceiving that the
(tea, and other hilly countries. Some personage who had now appeared to
of these are seen in their natural po- him was no other than God in human
sition, rising out of the ground, while shape, he conceived, according to
others appear as detached fragments, popular belief, that both he and his
thrown down from the rocky eminen- wife must  die.  This idea was not
3es. To such insulated masses of without some foundation; for wlhern
rock there are repeated references in  Moses had entre.~ed the Lord to
the Scriptures.-' rAnd the angel I show  him  his glory, he answered,
16




182                           JUDGES,                   [B. C. 116i
23 But his wife said unto him, this time have told us such
If the LORD were pleased to kill things as these.
us, he would not have received   24  1 And the woman bare a
a  burnt-offeringa  and  a meat- sonr  and called his name t Samoffering at our hands, neither son.  And "tthe child grew, and
would he have showed us all the LORD blessed him.
these things, nor would  as at   t Heb. 11, 32. u Sam  3, 19. Luke I,
80, and 2. 52.
6 Thou canst not see my face; for future blessings, than as harbingers
there shall no man see me and live;' of ill.  The woman in this showed
and for this very reason God put him  herself not only the strongest believinto a cleft of a rock, and permitted er, but the wisest reasoner.  The inhim to see, as it were, only' his back  cidents related may teach us, (1)That
parts,' a very partial display of his in times of dark and discouraging
glory.  So when Jacob had been fa- providences or sore temptations we
vored with a visit from  the same should remember the past experience
divine person in the shape of an an- of God's goodness as a ground of
gel, he expressed his astonishment, present support.'Account the long
that' his life was preserved,' Gen. suffering of God to be salvation.' He
32. 29, 30. From these passages we that hath so kindly helped us and
may learn the grounds of the pre- dealt with us hitherto, means not to
vailing  impressions on the subject. destroy us at last. (2) That the sinBut while we do not wonder at the ner oppressed with a sense of his de.
apprehensions of Manoah, we the serts has no reason to despair.  Let
more admire the composure of his him remember what Christ has done
wife. She argued in a directly dif- for him by his bloody sacrifice, and
ferent way. She considered the mer- read in it a sure proof, that he does
cies already vouchsafed to them as not design his death.
tokens for good; for why should God    23. No'r would as ar tmis time, &c.
confer such  singular honor upon  Or, Heb.'at this time.'  The exthem, if he intended to kill them? pression is perhaps designed to be
Why did he accept the burnt-offer-  emphatical, implying that God's mering at their hands. Why stoop to cy was greatly enhanced b1  being
imnpart to them  such information.  afforded to them  at this particular
Why give them  such gracious pro- time, a time of general calamity,
mises?   Was all this done to mock  when the word of the Lord was prethem?  Indeed, if he should kill cious, and there was no open vision.
them, how could the promises be ful- i Sam. 3 1.
filled? or for what purpose were they    24. Called his name Samtson  Heb.
given? The honor of the divine ve- )i1'    iShtimslton.  The root is unracity therefore required that they  doubtedly  Ii:2 shemesh, the sun, but
should be preserved.  This was a what relation the name was intended
just mode of arguing; for such mer- to bear to this object, we are no
cies were both evidences and pledges where informed.  Schmid conjecof his love; and  therefore were tures that it was in allusion to the
rather to be considered as earnests of shining countenance of the angel




B. C. 1161.]           CHAPTER  XIV.                            183
25 HAnd  the  Spirit of the man in Timnath of the daughLoRD began  to move  him  at ters of the Philistines.
times in the camp of Dan, Ybe-  2 And he came up, and told
tween Zorah  and Eshtaol.         his father and his mother, and
said, I have seen a woman in
CHAPTER  XIV.              Timnnath of the daughters of the,A, ND Samson went down a to Philistines: now therefore  get
Timnath, and b saw a wo- her for me to wife.
x ch. 3. 10. 1 Sam. 11. 6. Matt. 4. 1.  a Gen. 38. 13. Josh. 15. 10.. b Gen. 34. 2.
y Josh. 15. 33. ch. 18. 11.       c Gen. 21. 21, and 34. 4.
when he first appeared to Manoah's pelling.itnflence on the part of the
wife. Perhaps, or a still more proba- Spirit, which made its subject invinble supposition is, that it was in mem- cible.
ory of the resplendent brightness in
which his whole person may for a          CHAPTER XIV.
moment have been arrayed just as he   1. Samson went down to Timnanth.
departed from their sight.-~- And A frontier town of Dan, lying close
the Loqd blessed him.  Gave evident upon the borders of the Philistines'
proofs that the child was under his country. It originally belonged to
peculiar protection; blessed him by Judah, but was afterwards assigned
qualifying him  both in body and to Dan. It was situatedabout twenty
mind for something great and extra- miles west of Jerusalem, and about
ordinary.                         twelve north-east of Eshtaol. There
25. The Spirit of the Lord began evidently had been some remissness
to move htim at times. To stir him  on the part of Israel ih driving out
up to bold exploits; inspiring him, the Philistines from this place, but
in view of the degrading bondage of as the latter had now the upper hand,
his countrymen, with an ardent zeal it is not surprising that they dwelt in
to do something towards their deliv- the cities of the former, whom they
erance.  Under this supernatural had probably put under tribute, and
impulse he was led from time to time although the two races were in an
to put forth astonishing specimens of attitude of hostility towards. each
valor and strength, such perhaps as other, yet it seems not at this time to
his slaying the lion,ch.14. 6; achieve- have interrupted all intercourse bements which clearly evinced his de- tween them.  Indeed the terms on
signation of heaven for the work to which the Israelites lived and minwhich he was called and set apart. gled with their devoted neighbors the
The import of the original (tbe Canaanites, as is evident from many
leqaano) for'moved,' is peculiar, parts of their history, were such as
As ts paam, the radical form, sig- we should scarcely have expected
nifies an anvil, the metaphor is pro- from  people so related.  But'the
bably drawn from  the repeated and holy seed' in all ages has been too
somewhat violent strokes of the work- prone to cultivate intimacies and
man with his hammer. It implies form alliances with the world of the
therefore a peculiar urgency, an imn- ungodly.




184                         JUDGES                     [B. C. 1141.
3 Then his father and his mo- among all my people, that thou
ther said  unto  him, Is there goest to take a wife of the e unnever  a  woman  among  the circumcised  Philistines?  And
daughters of d thy brethren, or Samson  said  unto  his father,
d Gen. 24. 3, 4.           e Gen. 34. 14. Ex. 34.16. Deut. 7. 3.
2. Get her for me to wife. That is, es with the Canaanites, and this reatake measures for that purpose; en- son we cannot but suppose was,
deavor to bring it about.  No part of equally  applicable to  connexions
the Scripture has afforded more oc- with the Philistines. Still the law
casion for the doubts of sceptics, or was merely ceremonial, and if God
the scoffs of infidels, than the history saw fit to dispense with it in regard
of Samson. His character is indeed to any of his servants, he could do so
dark, and almost inexplicable. By unimpeached.  That this was the
none of the judges of Israel did God case in the present instance, there are
work so many miracles, and yet by strong grounds from the actual event
none were so many faults committed. to believe. At least, we do not feel at
Ile is enrolled by Paul in the list of liberty, from a view of the facts reancient worthies, in the eleventh of corded, to pronounce positively a senHIebrews, which affords a strong pre- tence of condemnation on this part
sumption, though not, we conceive, of Samson's conduct. But whatever
a positive proof; of his being a truly judgment we may form of the measpious man. It must be recollected, ure on the whole, his mode of prohowever, that his history is very cedure was in one respect highly deshort, and that the peculiarity of the serving of commendation. He took
dispensation under which he lived, no step towards forming the connexmay account for many things, which, ion, not even so much as paying his
if done at this time and without the addresses to her, without first makspecial  appointment  of Heaven, ing his parents acquainted with the
would be highly criminal. Besides, matter, and obtaining their consent.
there may have been in him  many In his example we read an admoniexercises of true piety, which, if re- tion that addresses itself to all childcorded, would have reflected a differ- ren in similar circumstances. Next
ent light upon his character. In the to the sanction of heaven, the conpresent instance, it must be admitted  currence of parents is requisite to
that his conduct in suffering his af- render that relation a source of comfections to be ensnared by a Philis- fort and happiness to the parties contine woman, had an ill appearance. cerned. Consulting them is consultMarriage connexions with the Phil- ing our own welfare, as well as acting
istines, who were not of the devoted up to the spirit of the divine injuncnations, were not indeed prohibited tion in the fifth commandment.
to the Israelites by the letter of the   3. Is there never a womanb, &c.
law, though by its spirit they un- His parents, aware of the divine prodoubtedly were.  The danger of hibitions relative to foreign alliances,
being enticed to idolatry was the rea- and also of the high and solemn de.son of the law as it respected a]lianc- signation of their son, of course re.




B. C. 1141.]           CHAPTER  XIV.                             185
Get her for me; for she pleaseth  knew  not that it was ~of the
me well.                            f Josh. 11. 20. 1 Kings 12. 15. 2 Kings
4 But his father and his mother 6. 33. 2 Chron. 10. 1.5, and 22. 7, and 25.'a0.
monstrate with him and endeavor to merely to gratify the headstrong pas.
dissuade him  from what they con- sion of their son, unless they had
ceived so imprudent and unbecom- some intimation that God himself
ing  a connexion.  They inquire had authorized in this instance a dewhether among the daughters of his parture from  his established ordi-'brethren,' i. e. of the tribe of Dan, nance'  Should we look for such a
he could not find a more suitable ob- concession to human infirmity from
ject of choice. If not, there was the the pious pair who had so devoutly
whole nation of Israel —' all my peo- entertained a messenger from heavple,'-that afforded him a field of se- en, and listened to his commands.
lection. Why then should he have The fact is, if we mistake not, Samoccasion to go to the daughters of a son does not intend mainly to say in
heathen race.' I wish,' says an old these words,'she is well-pleasing in
divine,'that Manoah and his wife my sight,' for the original word is
could speak so loud that all ou~r Is- not an adjective, having the sense of
rael could hear them.' By nothing beautifll, engaging, attractive, but
is the heart of a pious parent more a verb conveying indeed the idea of
grieved than by the prospect of the rig'ht, but of right relative to an end,
unequal yoking of his  children purpose, or object; in other words, of
with profane or irreligious partners; fittness or adaptation.  See Gussetius
for he knows that nothing is so likely on the root':IM  yashar, and compare
to prove injurious to their spiritual the use of it, 2 Sam. 17. 4; 1 Kings
interests, and subject them  to heart- 9. 12; 2 Chron. 30; Num. 23. 27.
rending trials.-~  For she pleaseth This then we conceive affords the
me well. Heb. "l'Y: Wi31t MEU' hi true clue to Samson's meaning;'She
yasherelA berdnai, she is right ise mine is right in my eyes;' i. e. adapted to
eyes. Taking these words in con- the end which I have in view; she
nexion with what is said in the next may be used, she is available for a
verse, we very much doubt whether purpose entirely ulterior to the imour present translation does full jus- mediate connexion which I propose.
tice to Samson's motives. According  That Samson, however, entertained
to this, he urges no stronger reason  a genuine affection for the woman,
for the step proposed than that the and was not influenced solely byviews
woman pleased his fancy, and for of policy in the transaction, we see
aught that appears from the rendering no reason to doubt. But that he init was on this ground alone that his tended at the same time to make this
parents acceded to his request. But alliance subservient to the great purif they conceived the measure to be pose of delivering his country from
directly contrary to the precepts of the oppression, there are very strong
law, how could they, as true believ- grounds for believing.
ers and obedient servants of God,   4. But his father and hzs mother
yield their consent and co-operation, knew not, &c.  These words appear
16*




186                         JUDGES.                    [B. C  1141
LORD, that he sought an occa- at that time gthe Philistines had
sion against the Philistines: for dominion over Israel.
g ch. 13. 1. Deut. 28. 48.
to be inserted parenthetically for the our common rendering is not indeed
purpose of intimating the reason to essentially different from this, but we
which it was owing, that Samson's prefer to express the exact shade of
parents declined giving their consent the original wherever it can be done.
to the proposed marriage. They did As far as the grammatical construcnot know God's purposes in respect tion is concerned, there is nothing to
to it. Had they known them, the imn- prevent this being understood of the
plication is that their decision would Lord himself as the proper subject of
have been different; and as we learn the verb. But it seems on the whole
from the next verse that their objec- more natural and plausible to undertions were overruled, and that they stand it of Samson-that he sought
went with their son to Timnath in occasion against the Philistinesreference to the object of his suit, the though at the same time with the
inference is fair, that in some way connivance and under the prompting
they did become acquainted with the of the Most High, who saw fit in this
divine counsels. Their going is to be indirect way to bring about the acconsidered, we think, rather in the colmplishment of his designs of retrilight of an acquiescence in the will bution towards his enemies. If it be
of heaven, than of a yielding to the asked why infinite wisdom chose to
mere importunities of their son. In adopt this peculiar method of comwhat particular manner they became passing the object, although our inaenlightened in respect to the ultimate bility to answer the question would
bearings of the measure, we are not not at all affect the claims of the sainformed, and must of course be left cred narrative, yet it may be sullgto mere conjecture. To us it appears gested, that the reason is perhaps to
most probable that Samson frankly be drawn from the special design of
laid open to them  all his mind, and God in raising up Samson as a dethat in these disclosures they saw  liverer. His leading purpose in this
satisfactory evidence that he was seems to have been to baffle the powmoved by the Spirit of God in this er of the whole Philistine nation by the
transaction in a way that they did not prowess of a single individual.  The
dare to resist.-     RThat he sought  an champion of Israel therefore was not
occasionagainqsttthePhilistines. That appointed so much to be the leader
is, an  occasion of avenging the of an army like the other judges, as
wrongs inflicted by the Philistines on to be an arnmy in himself. In order
the Israelites.  It is worthy of note then that the cozntest might be carried
that the Hebrew, instead of'against on in this way, it was necessary that
the Philistines,' has,'of or from the the entire opposition of the PhilisPhilistines;' clearly implying that tines should be concentrated, as far
the occasion sought should be one as possible, against the person of Samthat originated on the side of the son. This would array the contendPhilistines. The sense exhibited by ing parties precisely in such an atti



B. C. 1141.]            CHAPTER  XIV.                            187
tude as to illustrate most signally the to intimate the general moving cause
power of God in the overthrow of which prompted Samson to exert
his enemies. But how could this re- himself in behalf of his people. They
suit be brought about except by means were suffering under the despotic and
of someprivate quarrel between Sam- tyrannical sway of their oppressors.
son and the enemy with which he It was in this fact that a justificawas to contend! and who can say tion was to be sought for the comthat the scheme now projected was mencement of hostilities.  Schmid,
not the very best that could have been however, expresses the belief that a
devised for accomplishing the end still deeper sense is couched under
which God had in view. To what these words, viz. that they are intendextent Samson foresaw all the events ed to assign a reason why Samson
that were to grow out of this transac- should have felt it necessary to seek
tion, or how far he had a plan dis- any occasion at all for entering upon
tinctly laid corresponding with the warlike operations.  His curious
results that actually ensued, it is dif1 conceit. on the subject is as follows;
ficult to determine. The probability, — The  Philistines, although  they
we think, is that he had rather a gen- were now cruelly oppressing the Iseral strong impression, wrought by iaelites, yet by  the acknowledged
the Spirit of God, than a definite con- rights of war, they had justly acquirception, of the train of events that ed this dominion over them, and such
were to transpire. It was, however, a is God's abhorrence of all rebellions
conviction as to the issue sufficiently and insurrections against existing
powerful to warrant both him and powers, that they were not at liberty,
his parents in going forward with the on the simple plea or pretence of
measure. They were in some way tyranny, to endeavor to shake off the
assured that they were engaged in a yoke. Consequently some just occaproceeding which God would over- sion was to be sought as a warrant.rsule to the furtherance of his designs for the attempt, and unless such a
of mercy to his people and of judg- plausible pretext should arise, our
ment to their oppressors. God fore- commentator would have us undersaw, though they did not, how base- stand that the bare fact of the Philisly and perfidiously his wife's friends tines' having the ascendency over Isand relations would act towards Sam- rael was a sufficient reason for their
son, and what just grounds of war abstaining from all efforts to regain
would on this account arise.  In all their liberties.  This he supposes to
this, however, they would act freely be the genuine drift of the illative
and without compulsion, so that there' for' in the clause before us.  Samwould be no injustice in their pun- son sought an occasion against the
ishment; and what should prevent Philistines,'for (because) at that
the righteous Lord God from avail- timne the Philistines had dominion
ing himself of his omniscience in over Israel,' and therefore it would
working out to his enemies the due be unlawful to rise against them
recompense of their deeds?   TrFor without such an occasion! In conat that time the Philistines had do- nexion with this exposition he quotes
minion over Israel.  Added in order with applause the remarks of Brent,




188                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1141.
5 IT Then went Samson down,  6 And hthe Spirit of the LoRu
and his father and his mother, came mightily upon him, and he
to Tirnnath, and came to the rent him as he would have rent
vineyards of Timnath: and be- a kid, and he had nothing in his
hold, a young lion roared against
him.                                  h ch. 3. 10, and 13. 25. 1 Sam. 11. 6.
commending the singular prudence his parents were not with him when
and moderation of Samson, that al- this remarkable incident occurred.
though he had ample grounds in the' He was all alone in the vineyards,
divine commission implied in the whither he had rambled from his
very fact of his being raised up and father and mother (who-kept the high
set apart as a national deliverer, yet road) probably to eat grapes. Chilto avoid offence, he will not under- dren consider not that they expose
take the work till a just and legiti- themselves to the roaring lion that
mate cause of war occurs.  All this seeks to devour, when, out of a fobolreasoning, savoring as it does so ish fondness for liberty, they wander
strongly of the doctrine of passive from under the eye of their prudent,
obedience, we leave to the reader to pious parents. Nor do young people
estimate according to its worth; hut consider what lions lurk in the vinewe believe a much more ccrrect view  yards, the vineyards of red wine, as
of the reason of Samson's' seeking dangerous as snakes under the green
an occasion against the Philistines is grass.' Henry. It is to be observed,
given in a preceding note. If a ge- that' young lion' does not here mean
neral movement had been made by a whelp, for which the Hebrew has
the Israelites for the assertion of their quite a different word, but a young
liberties, an equally general attempt lion arrived at its full strength and
to crush it would of course have size, when it is far more fierce than
been made on the other side. But at a later period. It is evident from
God designed that Samson personally this and other passages of Scripture,
should be the butt of the enemies' that lions formerly existed in Judea.
wrath and machinations, that he We do not know that they are now
might display his own glory in con- to be met with in that country; but
quering them by the might of a sin- this is not surprising, as numerous
gle arm.                           instances might be cited of the dis5. Then went Samson down, and appearance of wild animals, in the
his father and his mother. Having course of time, from countries where
changed their minds; having yielded they were once well known.
to the evidence that he was under a   6. 71The Spirit of the Lord came
divine  prompting in the measure mightily upon him. Well rendered
proposed -- T Beltold a?yonng lion from  the original, which is in nuroared against him. Heb.'     Pl~  merous instances employed to sig-'rCh['~D  AI h"tr1Mt  hinnMh kephir nify a supernatural influence raising
arbcyoth shoeg likre'thlo, behold, a young the bodily or mental powers to an
lion of the lionesses roaring in his unwonted pitch of energy, clothing
meeting. From v. 6 it is obvious that one with courage, fortitude, skill,




B. C. 1141.]             CHAPTER  XIV.                           189
hand: but he told not his father talked with the woman; and
or his mother what he had done. she pleased Samson well.
7 And he went down, and 8 IT And after a time he returnwisdom, and strength, and enabling rents in behalf of their children. It
him  to  perform  achievements to was doubtless so in the present case.
which his unassisted powers would Indeed, for what other purpose did
be entirely unequal. The expression his parents go down. According to
seems to denote an occasional illapse the letter, indeed, the talking is reof this kind of influence, and it may ferred to Samson, and he undoubtedbe doubted whether even Samson ly had a voice in it, but not, we imawas able ordinarily to display these gine, to the exclusion of his father
prodigies of valor and prowess which and mother. The whole three nehe from  time to time put forth, gotiated the matter with the parents
though perhaps habitually a stronger of the young woman.
man than others.-IT Told not his  8. After a time he reetqrned to take
fatlter or his mother. An instance of lher. An interval of some time, ususingular discretion, modesty, ani ally ten or twelve months, elapsed
self-control, view  it in  whatever between the ceremony of espousals
light we may. - How few people are and the marriage. During this time
there in the world, who, if they had the betrothed bride remained with
performed such an exploit as this, her parents, that she might provide
would have suffered it to remain hid herself with nuptial ornaments suitafrom their dearest friends. But the ble to her station; after which the
presumption is, that before this Sam- bridegroom  came to fetch her home
son himself was not fuilly aware of and take her fully as his wife. The
the extent to which'the power of Jews still keep up this custom; the
the Highest rested on him,' and with- parties being betrothed at least six
out a distinct foresight of the events or twelve months before marriage.
that followed, he may still have con- During this interval, oriental usage
cluded that to divulge the possession appears to have allowed to the parof such astonishing strength would ties but slight communication with
be likely to defeat the ends to which each other. Yet what little interit might be applied. He would not course they had at all previous to
therefore betray so important a se- marriage, seems to have been restrictcret,-not even to his own parents, ed to this term. For,'in point of
lest a premature disclosure, by put- fact, we apprehend,' says the editor
ting his enemies on their guard, of the Pictorial Bible,' that the beshould render the endowment com- trothal was considered necessary to
paratively useless.                enable a young man to pay to a wo7. And talked wit~h the woman,. man even thatlimited degree of parRather according to the Heb.'l=1  ticular attention which eastern man~,t=    yedabber l&ish/ah, talked con- nersallowed.' This suggestion still
cerning' the woran.  Marriages in further confirms the idea advanced
the East, from  the earliest periods, above respecting the'tallring' there
have always been arranged by pa- alluded to.  It is quite improbable




190                        JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1141.
ed to take her, and he turned  came to his father and mother,
aside to see the carcass of the and he gave them, and they did
lion: and behold, there was a eat: but he told not them that
swarm of bees and honey in the he had taken the honey out of
carcass of the lion.              the carcass of the lion.
9 And he took thereof in his  10 IT So his father went down
hands, and went on eating, and unto the woman: and Samson
that it should have taken place be- to impure smells, would not othertween Samson and the young woman wise have permitted them to select it
herself. The kind of intimacy ex- as a habitation. The beautiful epi-,ressed by the wdrd' courtship,' and sode in the fourth Georgic of Virgil,
so familiar to European manners, proves that the ancients believed that
appears to have been from remote bees might be engendered in the dead
antiquity entirely unknown in the body of an ox.
East. -       Turned aside to see the' 9. And he took thereof in his hands.
carcass of the lion. Heb. h     map- Heb.l1h1  yi'rdlhuL,f'rom tl'1 r'dah,
peleth, the r'uins, the fallen heap. to subdue, a very peculiar term to be' Whilst Samson concealed the event applied to the act ofI  taking' a quanfrom others, he pondered it in him- tity of honey from its place of depoself; and when he returned to Tim- sit, be that what it might. The most
nath, went out of the way to see his common Hebrew word for' take,' is
dead adversary, and could not but IP5, lka'h and if nothing more is
recall to himself his danger and de- meant in the present case than the simliverance; " Here the beast met me; pie act so denominated, why is not the
thus he fought; thus I slew him!" usual term employed'l  We adopt
The very dead lion taught Samson the suggestion of Schmid in reply,
thankfulness. The mercies of God that a word was purposely chosen
are ill bestowed upon us, if we can- which should imply some resistance
not step aside to view the monuments and difficulty in getting possession
of his deliv:rances. As Samson had of the prize; that it was not without
not found his honey-comb, if he had an encounter, and a species of subjunot turned aside to see his lion, so we gation, that he succeeded in wrestshall lose the comfort of God's bene- ing the honey from the bees; such
fits, if we do not renew our perils by at any rate is the import of the word,
meditation.' Bp. Hall.-  TA swarm  whatever be the reason of its use.
of bees and honey in the car'cass. In   10. His father went down unto the
one respect the preceding note is woman. Rendered by the Chaldaic,
strikingly confirmed by the present' went down relative to the affair of
text.  It is evident that several the woman;' a sense of the words
months must have elapsed between decidedly approved by the Jewisa
the first and second visit to Timnath, critic David Kimchi. From the conin order to allow time for the carcass nexion it appears moreover, quit-,
of the lion to become reduced to a evident that Samson's father here is
dry naked skeleton.  The cleanly not to be understoodexclusive of Samhabits of bees, and their repugnance son himself. The probability is, that




B. C. 1141.]             CHAPTER  X1V.                             191
made there a feast; for so used 1 12 ~T And Samson said unto
the young men to do.                them, I will now  iput forth a
11 And it camne to pass, when  riddle unto you: if ye can certhey saw him, that they brought tainly declare it me k within the
thirty  companions to  be with 2   1 Kings 10. 1. Ezek. 17. 2. Luke 14
him..                                 2h. 2927.
both his father and mother and a never misliked moderate solemnities
company of friends attended him on (festivities) in the severest life.' Bp.
the occasion, but the father alone, as Hall.
the natural head of the party; is men-   11. It came to pass when they saw
tioned. Compare with this the Note him. That is, when they (the cition v. 7.- ~And Saamson madethe're zens) observed or considered him,
a feast. A wedding feast, such as is when they noted his stature, form,
customary all over the East, as well countenance and bearing. — T They
as in most other countries, during br'ought tlhirty companions to be with
which every species of me/riment hitm. A class of persons called elseprevails. This nuptial festivity used where in the Scriptures' friends of
to continue seven days, as we see the bridegroom,' or,' children of the
from v. 12 compared with Gen. 29. bride-chamber,' Mat. 9. 15; John 3.
27. After this the bride was brought 29.  Although  these  companions
home by, or to her husband.  We  were brought to him with a show of
must understand probably, in con- paying him respecl and honor in conformity with existing usages in the formity to custom, yet it was unEast, that Samson made his feast at doubtedly with the secret purpose of
the house of some acquaintance, or stationing spies about his person. A
in one hired for the occasion, as his remarkable something in his exterown house was distant; while at the nal appearance told them thathe was
same time the woman entertained  a man to be watched; and jealous as
her female friends and relatives at they now were of him, they would
her father's house.  The different have been still more so, had they
sexes never feasted together on these known of his exploit in killing the
or any other occasions, and the bride lion, which he had industriouslykept
and bridegroom  did not even give from them.'The favors of Philistheir respective entertainments in the tines have often some mischief or
same house, unless under very pecu- other designed in them.' Henry.
liar circumstances.  In reading this   12. Iwill oaw put forth a riddle
narrative we must not forget that 6nto you. It was a very ancient cusSamson was a mere sojourner at tom  among different nations to reTirnnath.-  SSo used the yourng men lieve their entertainments by proposto do.' I do not hear Samson plead  ing difficult and obscure questions,
his Nazaritism for a color of singu- to the solution of which a reward
larity- it is both lawful and fit, in  was usually annexed, while a prothings not prohibited, to conform  portionate forfeiture was the conseourselves to the manners and rites quence of a failure. They were parof those with whom wAe live.  God ticularly common among the Greeks,




192                          JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1141.
seven days of the feast, and find him, Put forth thy riddle, that
it out, then I will give you thirty  we may hear it.
sheets and thirty'change of gar-   14 And  he  said  unto them,
ments:                              Out of the  eater came  forth
13 But if ye cannot declare it meat, and out of the strong came
me, then shall ye give me thirty  forth  sweetness.    And  they
sheets and thirty change of gar- could not in three days expound
ments.   And  they  said  unto the riddle.
I Gen. 45. 22. 2 Kings 5. 22.
who were accustomed to call riddles dress in which people of rank and
contrived to puzzle and perplex by, fashion then delighted, rendered in
the name of' banquet-riddles,' or our translation fine linen; which' cup-questions.' Devices of this sort seems to place it beyond a doubt that
were especially necessary for amuse- they were persons of rank that fell
ment and pastime in a festival of by the hand of Samson on that occaseven'days' continuance like the pre- sion.' Paxton. By the'thirty change
sent.-  ~ Thirty sheets and tlirty  of garments' is probably to be undercha.nge of garments.  The original stood the upper vestments or tunics
word  ~'C11  sedinimn, from  which common in the East, usually called
comes the Greek EvJwv, Sindon,fine caftans, and answering nearly to our
linen, probably denotes a kind of cloaks. Theidea of the passage seems
body linen, more like our shirts than to be, thatSamson offered thirty dresssheets.' It cannot easily be imagined  es, which there is reason to suppose
they were what we call sheets, for consisted only of a shirt and upper
Samson might have slain thirty Phil- garment.
istines near Askelon, and not have   14. Out of the eater came fort]h
found one sheet; or if he slew them  meat, &c. Or, Heb. 5,:X7  NV yetzd
who were carrying their beds with maakal, came for'th food.  The antithem on their travels, as they often thesis in the first clause is sufficientdo in present times, the slaughter of ly obvious, viz. that an all-devouring
fifteen had been sufficient, for in the creature, contrary to what might naEast, as in other countries, everybed  turally  be expected, should afford
is provided with two sheets; but he food to others. But in the second, it
slew  just thirty, in order to obtain is less plain; for the opposite of
thirty sedininm, or shirts.  If this strength is not sweetness, but weakmeaning of the term  be admitted. ness.  If it had been,'Out of the
the deed of Samson must have been sharp or bitteqr came forth sweetnesS,'
very provoking to the Philistines; the opposition would have been perfor since only people of more easy feet.  Bochart, however, has very
circumstances wore shirts, they were plausibly Shown that the original for
not thirty of the common people that bitter is occasionally used for strong,
he slew, but thirty persons of figure and sharp for both.  So in the Arab.
and consequence.  The same word Mirra, strength, and Marir, strong,
is used by the prophet Isaiah, in his robust, come from  the root lMarra,
description of the splendid and costly which signifies to be bitter. Thus,




B. C. 1141.]           CHAPTER  XIV.                            193
15. And it came to pass on the   16 And  Samson's wife wept
seventh day, that they said unto  before him and said, o Thou dost
Samson's wife, m Entice  thy  but hate me, and lovest me not:
husband, that he may declare thou hast put forth a riddle unto
unto us the riddle nlest we burn the children of my people, and
thee and thy father's house with  hast not told it me.  And he
fire: have ye called us to take said unto her, Behold, I have
that we have? is it not so?     not told it my father nor my
mother, and shall I tell it thee?
m ch. 16. 5. 1 ch. 15. 6.
o oh. 16. 15.
too, in the Latin, acer, sharp, applied needed to be out of their way.' But
to a man, denotes one who is valiant, the point was, not to conceive of these
who eagerly engages his enemy; and objects separately, but in a peculiar
what is worthy of notice, this very relation to each other, and the difficulterm is employed by Ovid as an epi- ty of this arose from the fact that
thet for lions;-'Genus acre leonum,' they would naturally conceive of the
the sharp or fierce kind of lions. eater as still alive. It was, however,
The true antithesis of the riddle, well adapted to the purpose for which
therefore, may bestated thus:-'Food  Providence designed it should be
came from the devourer, and sweet- overruled.
ness from that which is sharp;' i. e.   15. On the seventht day. That is,
eager, fierce, violent. The Syr. and of the week, being the fourth of the
Arab. both render the original by feast, as appears from  comparing
bitter instead of strong, and some v. 14 and 17. -~Have ye called eus
copies of the Gr. Sept. instead of atro to take that we have?  Have ye inLtXvpov from the strong, exhibit the vited us to the feast for the purpose
reading a7ro rtKpov from the bitter. Jo- of impoverishing us by taking away
sephus gives the enigma in this form, what we have.'A  great devourer produced sweet   16. Wept before him. Heb..'lq
food out of itself, though itself was V'qY  vattIbk Wlaquv, wept upon hzfn.
very disagreeable.'  Probably to a The sequel showed, however, that
Hebrew  ear, when the riddle was they were crocodile tears which she
found out, the terms would be as ex- shed on this occasion.-  ~If haveanot
pressive and suitable as any that told it to my father, nor may mother.
could have been chosen. This enig- Though I have had more experience
ma, though soluble, was one well of their fidelity, and more reason to
calculated to task their ingenuity to trust their taciturnity than thine.
the utmost, notwithstanding Henry's' In all parts of the world, I believe,
remark, that' if they had but so much people are pretty much alike, as to
sense as to consider what eater is their capability of keeping secrets,
most strong, and what meat is most The Hindoos, however, improperly
sweet, they would have found out reflect upon the female sex in their
the riddle; and neither lions nor proverb, " To a woman tell not a sehoney were such strangers to their cret."  That secret must be great incountry, that the thoughts of them  deed which w:-lit prevecnt a son or
17




194                        JUDGES,                    [B. C. 1141.
17 And she wept before him  and what is stronger than a lion?
the seven days, while their feast And he said unto themn,  f ye
lasted: and it came to pass on had not ploughed with my heifthe seventh day, that he told er, ye had not found out my
her, because she lay sore upon riddle.
him: and she told the riddle to  19 IT And P the Spirit of the
the children of her people.       LORD came upon him, and he
18 And the men of the city went down  to  Ashkelon, and
said unto him  on the seventh slew thirty men of them, and
day before the sun went down, took theirspoil, and gave change
What is sweeter than honey?               P ch. 3. 10, and 13. 25.
daughter from telling it to the father'~If ye had notyloughed with my he/fer,
or mother. The greatest proof of &c. A proverbial expression, inticonfidence is to say, " I have told mating that the Philistines could not
you what I have not revealed to my have obtained the solution of the ridfather."  In proof of the great affec- die without availing themselves of
tion one has for another, it is said, the assistance of his wife.  Samson
" He has told things to him that he might justly have disputed the point
would not have related to his pa- with them, inasmuch as they did not
rents."  "My friend, do tell me the find out the riddle themselves, but
secret."-" Tell you' yes, when I gained the knowledge of it by treach.
have told my parents."' Roberts.   ery; nevertheless he generously de17. The seven days. That is, the termined to abide by the forfeit.
rest of the seven days.- ~ Lay sore   19. The Spirit of the Lord came
oupon him.  Rather, Heb.'strongly Upon him. See on v. 6. —       Went
urged, solicited, or pressed him.' —  down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men
~ She told the riddle. The meaning of them, &c. Ashkelon was a city
of the riddle. W~hen we trust a se- possessed at this time by the Philiscret out of our own breast, we must tines, and one of their five lordships,
not expect it will long continue such. though it had previously been taken
It was not the mark of a wise man and for some time held by Judah, ch.
in pamson to suppose that another 1. 18. It was situated fifteen miles
would be more faithful to him than north of Gaza, nine north of Ashclod,
he was to himself.                and about forty west from Jerusalem.
18. What is svweeter than honey? The divine predictions respecting it
what is stronger than a lion? This have been so literally fulfilled, that
must be understood merely as a corn- there is not, says Richlardson, an inpend of the solution of the riddle, habitant within its walls; its lofty
for it was not simply the two distinct towers lie scattered on the ground,
objects, the lion and the honey, which and the ruins within its walls do not
constituted its point, but the'coming shelter a human being.  Samson's
out' of the one from the other, and going to this distant city and taking
unless the manner of this was stated, the lives of thirty of its inhabitants
we do not see how the riddle could can only be justified on the general
properly be considered as solved.-   ground of his being raised up to' be




B. C. 1141.J            CHAPTER  XIV.                            i95
of garments unto them  which   20 But Samson's wife  qwas
expounded the riddle.  And his given to his companion, whom
anger was kindled, and he went i he had used as r his friend.
up to his father's house.                 q ch. 15.2. rJohn3.29.
a judge and deliverer of his people, present his new-married wife, but
and to avenge their Philistine oppres- not, we think, with the design of a
sore. The inference is reasonable, permanent desertion. It was probathat the Spirit of the Lord came upon bly with a view, in a mild way, to
him not only to enable, but also to signify his displeasure at her recent
au~.thorize him  to perform the deed I conduct, and to bring her to the exhere mentioned.'It is just with God i pression of a suitable regret. The
to destine what enemies he pleases to result, however, was different from
execution.  It is not to be inquired, what he anticipated.
why this man is stricken rather than   20. Samson's wife was given to his
another, when both are Philistines' companioan, &c. I.eb.'li7t.VZn5 "'
Bp. Hall. —— IT ~Toolc their' spoil. telhi lemnireeiLu, becambe to his compaTheir apparel; the garments which nion. The consent and agency of
they had on, and of which he strip- her parents in this disposal of her are
ped their dead bodies. Express men- not expressed, but implied.  It is
tion, it is true. is not here made of probable that they were by this time,
the sheets or shirts, but they are evi- on further acquaintance with Samdently implied from  v. 13.  The son, quite willing to have the conJewish critics make it a question nexion broken up, and to be rid of
how Samson, being a Nazarite, and one whose intimate relation to them
consequently forbidden to touch a augured no good, and accordingly
dead body, Num. 6. 6, could, with- seized the colorable pretence of his
out pollution, have possessed himself temporary withdrawment to make
of the raiment of these slain Philis- the separation lasting.'What pretines.  The question is one of no tence of friendship soever he make,
great moment, as the facts in the case a true Philistine will soon be weary
force us to the conclusion, either that of an Israelite.' Bp. Hall.-  ~ Whiomr
this prohibition was binding only up- he had used as bis friend.  With
on the temlpo1ary, and not upon the whom  he had been upon the most
perpetual Nazarites, or that God intimate terms. This person, techthrough his Spirit acting in and by nically termed the pa~ranvymph, was
Samson, granted him a dispensation probably what is called in the New
in this particular; as the same au- Testament the'friend of the bridethority which binds has power also to groom.'  He was a trusted friend,
loose, in regard to ceremonial observ- and charged with a peculiarly deliances.- T Iis anger was kindled. cate and confidential office. He deAgainst his perfidious wife and his voted himself for a time almost enthirty companions, whose treatment tirely to the affairs of the bridegroom;
of him had been so treacherous and before the day of marriage, he was
unprincipled. —-JHe went cup to his usually the medium  of communicafather's house.  Abandoning for the, tion between the bridegroom and the




196                        JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1140.
CHAPTER  XV.                2 And her father said, I verily
- UT it came to pass within thought that thou hadst utterly
a while after, in the time a hated her; therefore  1 gave her
of wheat-harvest, that Samson  to thy companion: is not her
visited his wife with a kid; and younger sister fairer than she?
he said, I will go in to my wife take her, I pray thee, instead
into the chamber.  But her fa- of her.
ther would not suffer him to go   3 IT And Samson said concernin.                                          a ch. 14. 20.
bride; during the marriage festivity, be the first to seek peace, and the
he was in constant attendance, doing readiest to pass by a transgression.'
his best to promote the hilarity of the Haweis. -~ He said, I will go in,
entertainments, and rejoicing in the &c.  He said to himself; he prohappiness of his friend. Nor did his posed; he formed the purpose.duties terminate with the completion ~r Into the chamber. Into the interior
of the marriage, but he was consider- apartments appropriated to the woed the patron and confidential friend men; the harem.
of both parties, and was usually call-  2. I ver'ily thooght that thou hadst
ed in to compose any differences that autter'ly hated her?. Heb. rC72R'IXq
might arise between them. Samson's dmor azmarti, saying', I said that
friend must, as his paranymph, have thou, &c. I said in my heart, I cerhad peculiar facilities for forming tainly concluded. The excuse was
an acquaintance with the woman, very frivolous, for it does not appear
and of gaining her favorable notice; that Samson was long absent, and at
and the treachery of one whom he any rate, he had no right to bestow
had'so largely trusted, must have her again in marriage without first
been peculiarly distressing to him. apprising  him  of his  intention.
Wrongs done by a friend wound the The act of repudiation in the East
spirit more deeply than any others. was always supposed to originate'It was thou, my friend,' says David. with the husband, and not with the
_ wife.  IT Is not her younger sister
CHAPTER XV.               fairer than she?  Heb. tii=h  I1'W
1. In the time of wheat-harvest. tobah mzimmenaih, better than she.
Which in that country was in April Words expressive of moral qualiand May. The time of the visit is ties are, in Hebrew and other lanspecified in reference to the exploit guages, frequently applied to persubsequently mentioned, v. 4, 5. —  sonal endowments. Thus in English
f~ Visited his wife with a hid. Carry- we have' good-looking' for handing a kid in token of reconciliation. some.- S  Take her. Heb. 15'I.
Time had now cooled his resent- tehi leka let her be to thee. Thus, in
ment, and  probably not knowing fact, proposing whatwould have been
that she had meanwhile been given to Samson an incestuous marriage,
to another, he was willing to make Lev. 18. 18, however the Philistines
the first overtures of returning amity. regarded it.
*The wisest, though offended, will  3. Samson said concerning them,




B. C. 1140.]            CHAPTER  XV.                            197
ing them, Now shall I be more   4 And Samson went and caught
blameless than the Philistines, three hundred foxes, and took
though I do them a displeasure. fire-brands, and turned tail to
Said to himself. It is very improba- positors.  The Heb. word 10Y'lZJ
ble that he would have announced shualim, is now generally agreed to
verbally to any one the purpose have included in its meaning not onwhich he had now conceived in his ly' foxes,' but also' jackals,' an animind. In forming this resolution, mal rightly described as something
he acted rather in a public than a between the wolf and the fox, and
private capacity. Had he aimed to hence sometimes termed by naturalavenge only his personal injuries, it ists'the wolf-fox.'  These animals,
would have been sufficient to have which were very numerous in Palchastised his rival and his father-in- estine, associate together in large
law only: but as the slight which herds or packs, sometimes to the
excited his indignation had no doubt amount of two or three hundred; difbeen put upon him because he was fering in this respect from the fox,
an Israelite, he determines as an Is- which is not gregarious, and is far
raelite to seek revenge.  He had more cunning. Like foxes, however,
done what was proper in endeavor- they live in holes, which they form
ing by a present to effect a reconcili- under ground, and they are particuation with his wife, but as his over- larly prone to resort to ruined towns,
tures had been repulsed, no one could not only because they there find nublame him if he now showed his just merous secure retreats ready made,
resentments. When we have done but because the same facilities atour best to prevent a quarrel, we tract to such places other animals, on
cannot be charged with the conse- whose dead bodies they prey. From
quences of it.                    this circumstance, the prophets in
4. W'ent and caught three hundred describing the future desolation of a
foxes. Not that he did this in one city, say it shall become'the habitaday, or that he did it alone. In the tion of jackals,' a prediction verified
Scripture idiom, a person is continu- by the actual condition of many plaally described as doing that which ces to which their prophecies apply.
he orders to be done, and no doubt Thus it is said by travellers that the
such a person as Samson could easi- ruins of Ascalon in particular afford
ly command whatever assistance he habitation to great numbers of these
required. Nor is it to be supposed animals.  The howlings of these
that the scene of devastation was con- packs of jackals are frightful, and
fined to one particular place. From  give great alarm to travellers; whence
the subsequent narrative it would ap- they are also called in Heb. t~~R
pear thatithe destruction of the corn- Ayim, Aowlers. improperly rendered
fields extended widely over the ter-' wild beasts of the islands.'  Is. 13.
ritories of the Philistines. Comp. v. 22; Jer. 2. 39.  But it appears that
6.  As to the kind of animal em- the common fox is also of frequent
ployed on this occasion, there has occurrence in Palestine, and as both
been no small controversy among, ex- are included under the common term
17*




198                         JUDGES.                  [B. C. 1140.
tail, and put a fire-brand in the   6 ff Then the Philistines said,
midst between two tails.          Who hath done this?  And they
5 And when he had set the answered, Samson, the son-inbrands on fire, he let them go law of the Timnite, because he
into  the standing corn of the had taken his wife, and given
Philistines, and burnt up both her to his companion. bAnd the
the shocks, and also the stand- Philistines came up, and burnt
ing corn, with the vineyards and her and her father with fire.
olives.                                      b ch. 14. 15.
Sqtual, it must generally be left to the at fire, wouid instantly have betaken
bearing of the context to' determine itself to its hole or some place of re.
when the jackal and when the fox treat, and thus the design of Samson
are respectively denoted.  That the would have been wholly frustrated.
jackal is intended in the text now  But by tying two of them together
before us, we may infer from the by the tail they would frequently
number of animalstaken by Samson, thwart each other in running, and
which must have been easier with thus cause the greater devastation.
creatures prowling in large droves, If it be asked why Samson resorted
than with a solitary and very wily to such an expedient at all, instead
animal like the fox.- 1   Took fire- of firing the cornfields with his own
brands.  Rather, Heb. t231i  lappi- hand, which would have been a
dim: torches. Afirebrand, in such a much simpler and easier method of
position, if sufficiently ignited to kin- compassing his object, we may say
die a blaze in the shocks of corn, perhaps in reply, that by the meanwould soon have burnt itself free ness and weakness of the instru.
from the tails of the foxes, or have ments employed he designed to put
been extinguished by being drawn a more signal contempt upon the
over the ground. A torch or flam- enemies with whom  he contended,
beau, on the other hand, made of re- thus mingling ridicule with revenge.
sinous wood or artificial materials,   6. And they answered, &c.' The
being more tenacious of flame, would mention of the offence draws in (that
have answered a far better purpose; of) the provocation; and now the
and such is the legitimate import of wrong to Samson is scanned and rethe original.-. And turned tail to venged;- because the fields of the
tail. This was doubtless intended to Philistines are burned for the wrong
prevent them from making too rapid done to Samson by the Timnite in his
a retreat to their holes, or, indeed, daughter, therefore the Philistines
from  going to their holes at all. burn the Tirnnite and his daughter.
They were probably not so tied that The tying of the firebrand between
they should pull in different direc- two foxes was not so witty a policy,
tions, but that they might run devi- as the setting of a fire of dissension
ously and slowly, side by side, and betwixt the Philistines.' Bp. Hall.
so do the more effectual execution. - rB rntt her and her father vwith
Had he put a torch to the tail of fire. A most inhuman and barbareach, the creature, naturally terrified ous act, on the part of its perpetrators




B. C. 1140.]            CHAPTER  XV.                           199
7 IT And  Samson  said  unto  And he went down and dwelt
them, Though ye have  done in the top of the rock Etam.
this, yet will- I be avenged of   9 IT Then the Philistines went
you, and after that I will cease. up, and pitched in Judah, and
8 And he smote them hip and spread themselves Ginj Lehi.
thigh with  a great slaughter.                  cver. 19.
yet wonderfully overruled in the Pro- thighs, were scattered and heaped
vidence of God to chastise the guilty. promiscuously together; equivalent
The Philistines had threatened Sam- to saying, that he totally destroyed
son's wife that if she did not obtain them.'Whether this be the genuine
and disclose her husband's secret, interpretation admits of some doubt,
they would burn her and her father's but as we have nothing more plausihouse with fire. She, to save herself ble to propose, it is left to the readand oblige her countrymen, betrayed er's judgment, as one of the cases
her husband; and now by so doing where entire satisfaction as to the
brought upon herself the very doom  writer's meaning, is unattainable.
which she so studiously sought to That a signal overthrow and a great
avoid! To seek to escape suffering slaughter is intended, seems to be unby sin, is the surest way to bring it questionable. —TDwelt in the top of
upon us!' The fear of the wicked the rock Etam. Rather, according to
it shall come upon him.'          the Heb.,' in a cleft, in a fissure of
7. Thoug'ye have done this, &c. the rock.' Of the exact position of
Though you have thought by this act this place, or of Samson's motive in
of cruelty to my wife and kindred, resorting thither, we are not inform.
to make amends for the injury done ed. It was probably a natural fortress,
to me, yet flatter not yourselves that affording peculiar advantages for
I an  thereby appeased, and that I defence, of which Samson no doubt
shall forbear farther hostilities.  He foresaw, that he would soon be in
doubtless saw that his wife and her need of availing himself. Their re.
family were victims to a hasty indig- cent defeat would naturally rouse the
nation occasioned by their own loss- wrath of his enemies and bring them
es, rather than the subjectsofa right- upon him in all their force. It seems
eous and well-considered retribution, altogether likely from his words in
and that accordingly there was no the concluding part of v. 7, that he
reason for him, as a public judge, had accomplished his present pur.
called and appointed of God to de- pose of revenge, and designed no farliver his country from oppression, to ther annoyance to the Philistines
cease to prosecute that work.     unless provoked to it by new ag8. Smote them hip and thliglh. Heb. gressions on their part.  If they
1-1-1 5  j-?=  =lIX I" yalk otlhal then will rouse the sleeping lion,
shok al yarik, smote them leg upon let them expect to pay dear for their
thigh.  Apparently a proverbial ex- temerity.
pression, implying, according to Ge-   9. Pitched in Judaht and' spread
senius, that he cut them  in pieces, themselves in Lehi. Etam, the strongso that their limbs, their legs and hold to which Samson had now




200                        JUDGES.                   [B. C. C. 1140
10 And the men of Judah said, what is this that thou hast done
Why are ye come up against us? unto  us?   And he said unto
And they answered, To  bind  them, As they did unto me, so
Samson are we come up, to do have I done unto them.
to him as he hath done to us.    12 And they said unto him,
11 Then three thousand men We are come down to bind thee,
of Judah went to the top of the that we may deliver thee. into
rock Etam, and said to Samson, the hand of the Philistines. And
Knowest thou not that the Phi- Samson said unto them, Swear
listines are drulers over us? unto me, that ye will not fall
d eh. 14. 4.         upon me yourselves.
betaken himself, was in the tribe of ing him for his courage, they blame
Judah, and the Philistines probably him for his rashness, and desire him
intended by suddenly appearing with peaceably to submit to their bonds!
a large army in their borders, to in-   12. Swear unto me that ye will not
timidate that tribe, and make them  fall luponme yourselves. Though he
subservient to their design of cap- had abundant occasion to expostulate
turing Samson.' Lehi' is so called with them on account of their ingrahere by anticipation, as it received titude, and to upbraid them with their
that name from  the slaughter with cowardice and, infatuation, yet he
the jaw-bone, which had not yet generously forbears reproaches, and
taken place.                      merely demands assurance that he
10. To bind Samson are we come should receive no harm at their hands.
up, &c. From the sequel it would He does not make the stipulation for
appear that their answer included fear of them, for he could as easily
also a demand upon the men of Jndah have freed himself from the hands
for their services and co-operation of his brethren as from those of the
in making a prisoner of Samson.    Philistines, but he would avoid the
11. Knowest thou not t/eat the Phi- necessity of acting towards them as
listines are rulers ove r us?  A most enemies. His motive for consenting
degrading confession to come from  thus readily to be bound and deliverthe lips of an Israelite, and plainly ed up to the Philistines undoubtedly
showing that they had become con- was, that he knew the issue of it
tented slaves, more fearful of offend- would be to afford hin a new occaing the Philistines than anxious to sion of inflicting vengeance upon
assert theirindependence. But their that oppressive  race.' Samson
spirits were broken  by the base abides to be tied by his own countrybondage which their iniquities had imen, that he may have the glory of
brought upon them, and instead of freeing himself victoriously. Even
bravely setting Samson at their head, so, 0 Saviour, our better Nazarite,
to fight for their liberty, they meanly thou, which couldst have called to
resolve to make a sacrifice of him  thy father, and have had twelve le.
to his enemies! preferring ignomini- gions of. angels  for thy  rescue,
ous servitude to a generous struggle wouldst be bound voluntarily that
for their country. Instead of honor- thou mightest triumph i  So the




B. C. 1140.l            CHAPTER  XV.                           201
13 And they spake unto him, upon his arms became as flax
saying, No: but we will bind Ithat was burnt with fire, and
thee fast, and deliver thee into his bands loosed from off his
their hand: but surely we will hands.
not kill thee.  And they bound   15 And he found a new jawe
him with two new  cords, and bone of an ass, and put forth
brought him up from the rock. his hand, and took it, and f slew
14 ~r And when he came unto a thousand men therewith.
Lehi, the Philistines  shouted   16 And  Samson said, With
against him: and ethe Spirit of the jaw-bone of an ass, heaps
the LORD came mightily upon upon heaps, with the jaw of an
him, and the  cords that were ass have I slain a thousand men.
e ch. 3. 10, and 14. 6.    f ch. 3. 31. Lev. 26. 8. Josh. 23. 10.
blessed  martyrs were racked and   16. Heaps upon leaps. Heb.'3ltM
would not be loosed, because they itn17.n'hamor''hamoratt/lyim, an
expected a better resurrection.  If hLeap, two heaps. The original conwe be not as well ready to suffer ill tains a peculiar play upon the sound
as to do good, we are not fit for the I of the words, which cannot be transconsecration of God.' Bp. Hall.    ferred into any other language. The
13. Brought Vim uep from the roock. same word in Hebrew, V17r:'/namor,
From the cleft or cave of the rock signifies both an ass and a heap, thus
in which he had taken shelter. See forming  an elegant paranomasia,
on v. 8. From hence he was brought and representing the Philistines fallto Lehi, where the Philistines had ing as tamely as asses. Some have
pitched their camp.               considered this short pean of Samson
14. Became as fla.x that was burnt. as faulty in not ascribing his victory
A flaxen or hempen cord that has more directly and unequivocally to
been burnt in the fire will still re- God, who had enabled him to accom
tain its iorm when taken out, but it plish it. The words, it is true, conhas no strength; it is henceforth a tain no express mention of the name
mere cinder and falls to pieces at the of Jehovah, but it cannot, we think,
slightest touch. Such, in point of be fairly inferred that the recogniweakness, were the cords with which I tion of the divine power was not
Samson was now  bound.  In the  present to his thoughts, or that he
ensuing clause,' his bands loosed intended to ascribe the result to the
(Heb. melted),' the figure is varied prowess of his own arm. It is perand the bands represented asflowing haps rather to be understood as an
oft' his limbs like a liquid substance. exclamation of' grateful ard adoring
15. Fou'n.d a new jaw-bone of an wonder, that he, who was in himself
ass. Heb. ~'n ter'iyyaeh, green or a poor, weak worm, should have
moist, i. e. the jaw-bone of an ass re- I been enabled, with such a contempticently dead. The bones of any ani- ble instrument, to effect so signal an
mal in such a state, would not so overthrow of his enemies.
-asily break as when they had be-   17. Called that place Ramath-lehi.
iome dry.                         And by contraction' Lehi;' as was.




202                          JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1140o
17 And it came to pass when  for thirst, and fall into the hand
he had made an end of speak- of the uncircumcised?
ing, that he cast away the jaw-   19 But God  clave  a hollow'bone out of his hand, and called  place that was in the jaw, and
that place Ramath-lehi.             there came water thereout; and
1s IT And he was. sore athirst, when he had drunk, "his spirit
and called  on  the  LORD, and  came  again, and  he  revived.
said, gThou hast given this great Wherefore he called the name
deliverance into the hand of thy  thereof En-hakkore, which  ias
servant: and  now  shall I die  in Lehi unto this day.
g Ps. 3. 7.              1 Gaen. 45. 27. Isai. 40. 29. Ps. 34. 6.
usual with proper names, as Salem  ed.  The writer undoubtedly meant
for Jerusalem, Sheba for Beersheba, to say, that God clave a hollow place
and many others. The exact im- which was in Lehi, and not in the
port of the original "Ir;    cl ramath- jaw-bone.  Indeed the propriety of
lehi, is not easily determined.  it this reading is evident from the conmay mean either'the casting away  text; for if we have'jaw,' or,'jawof the jaw-bone,''the lifting up of bone' here, we ought to retain it in
the jaw-bone,' or' the hill of the jaw- the concluding clause of this verse,
bone.' The last is most consistent and instead of saying,' which is tn
with  grammatical structure, and  Lehi unto this day, say,'which is
unites in its support the suffrages of in the jaw-bone unto this day.'  The
the  greatest number  of modern  fact that the Hebrew word for'jawcritics.                            bone,' and for'Lehi,' is the same,
19. God clave a hollow place. That and a fondness for multiplying mirais, so clave the ground or the rocl  cles, probably led several of the anas to stake a hollow place.  Thus Ps. cient versions to understand Lehi
74. 15,' Thou didst cleave the foun- here as denoting the jaw-bone of the
tain;' i. e. thou didst cleave the rock ass rather than the place so called.
so as to cause a fountain to spring  — f His spirit came again.  His
up in it.  Thus Is. 47. i,' Take the i strength and spirits, exhausted by the
millstones and  grind meai;' i. e. excessive fatigue of the recent engrind corn into meal.  Judg. 16. 30, counter, were effectually  revived.' The dead which he slew  at his -IT  Ile called thle name thiereof Endeath,' &c., i. e. those who became halkkore.  That is,'the fountain of
dead by his slaying them. The ori- him that called or prayed.' Geddes,
ginal for'hollow-place,' elsewhere,' invocation-well.'  Instead of' he
signifies a mortar, and here denotes called,' the properrendering undoubtundoubtedly that a cavity was now  edlv is,'it was called,' i. e. this bemade in the earth of the form of a  came its popular appellation, as it
mortar, on which account Horsley i seems to have become henceforward
not unaptly renders it.'clave a mor- a perennial spring. According to
tar-hole in Lehi.'-    That was in  the distinction of the Hebrew accents
theeaw. An unfortunate rendering, the whole clause is to be translated
as is now almost universally conced- thus;' And the name thereof was




B. C. 1120.]            CHAPTER  XVI.                            203
20 And he judged Israel lin              CHAPTER  XVI.
the days of the Philistines twen- T HEN went Samson to Gaza,
ty years.                               and saw  there an harlot,
i ch13..  and went in unto her.
called unto this day En-hakkore, occasioned by the fortunes of war,
which is in Lehi.'                 till at present it has declined to a
20. Judged Israel in the days of the trading village of some three or four
Philistinres twenty years.  His ad- thousand inhabitants. It stands upon
ministration is supposed not to have a hill of about two miles circumferbeen strictly universal or extended ence at the base, surrounded by valover the whole of Israel, but limited leys, and overlooking a prospect of
rather to the southwestern district of much beauty. Environed by and inPalestine, where the oppression of the terspersed with gardens and plantapeople was most severe. The phrase, tions of olive and date trees, the town'in the days of the Philistines,' is has a picturesque appearance to which
peculiar, implying the days or the its numerous elegant minarets not a
period during which the Philistines little contribute.  The buildings behad the upper hand of Israel; leav- ing mostly of stone, and the streets
ing us to infer that Samson's efforts moderately broad, theinterioranswers
did not avail entirely to crush, but expectation better than most other
only to restrain, limit and weaken towns of Syria, and affords accornmthe power of the oppressors.  The modations far superior to most places
Lord did not grant a full deliverance, in Egypt.  The suburbs, however,
because his people were not yet suf- are composed of miserable mud huts;
ficiently chastised for their  sins. but all travellers concur with Sandys
Indeed it was not till the days of in admiring the variety and richness
David that the Philistine yoke was of the vegetable productions, both
completely shaken off, 2 Sam. 3. 18. wild and cultivated, of the environs.
Of the adjustment of the period of The inhabitants have manufactures
twenty years here mentioned, see ch. of cotton and soap, but derive their
13. 1.                             principal support from the commerce
between Egypt and Syria, which
CHAPTER  XVI.              must all pass this way. Scarcely
1. Then wvent Samson to Gaza. any of its ancient remains are now to
This place was the capital and the be found. Those of which travellers
most important of the five Philistine gave an account a century or two
principalities, and was situated about ago, have nearly all disappeared.fifteen miles south of Ascalon, sixty  The real motive by which Samson
miles southwest from Jerusalem, and was prompted in this visit to Gaza,
between two and three miles from  it is vain to attempt to discover. We
the sea. It was a very ancient city, can scarcely, however, from the seand is always spoken of in the Old quel resist the impression that his
Testament as a place of great impor- spiritual affections had suffered a setance. In more modern times it has rious decline, that he had relaxed the
undergone a great variety of changes vigilance and circumspection of his




204                         JUDGES                     [B. C. 1120o
2 And it was told the Gazites, the morning when it is day we
saying, Samson is come hither. shall kill him.
And they acompassed  him  in,  3 And  Samson  lay till midland laid wait for himn all night night, and arose at midnight, and
in the gate of the city, and were took the doors of the gate of the
quiet all the night, saying, In  city, and  the two posts, and
a  Sam. 23 2,. Ps. 118. o, 11, 12. Acts went away with them, bar and
9 24.                              all, and put them upon his shouldwalk as a Nazarite, and that he ven- Heb. 1"Vil vrayasobn, they vent r'oqund
tured uncalled among the uncircum- about. With the utmost activity they
cised. Considering the relation in traversed the city to and fro, conwhich he stood to the Philistines, and versing with each other, concerting
the light in which he was regarded plans, and adopting  measures to
by them, it was certainly a step full make a captive of their most forof personal danger, provided hewent midable foe.  Their principal prethither openly and without disguise. caution, it seems, was to station senBut from the context it would rather tinels at the gates to apprehend him
appear, that he entered the gates as he should attempt to pass out in
without the citizens being at first ap- the morning.-~N Were quiet all the
prised of the fact.  His being there, night. Heb. I VlInM  yith'h&ireshu, kept
however, was soon noised abroad, themselves silent; as if by special conand his enemies were at once on the straint.  They would do nothing,
alert with their machinations to get make no  disturbance, create no
him in their power, and what security alarm, that would endanger the suc-.
for safety have they who wander un- cess of their schemes.
bidden from the path of duty?-    3. Took the doors of the gate. Heb.
~[And saw there an harlot, &c. The 1T'lhu yeehOz, laid hold of, seized. Not
seeing this lewd worman was not per- the great gate itself, but the two
haps the moving cause of his going smaller doors or leaves, constructed
to Gaza, but being there he accident- within the large gate, and which
ally fell in with her, and was unhap- alone were opened on ordinary ocpily ensnared by the sight of his eyes. casions.  The posts, bar, &c., of
How have the strongest in grace oc- these were different from  the more
casion to pray, Lead us not into solid and massy fixtures of the great
temptation!                       gate, which of course he could not
2. And it was told the Gazites say- thirik of removing. It was indeed an
ing, &c. The original word, 1'11v instance of divine forbearance at
vayzuggad, corresponding to the Ital- which Samson had occasion to wonics, is so essential to the completion der that his supernatural strength
of the sense here, that there can be was yet continued to him, notwiti.
little doubt that it has by some acci- standing his aggravated offence. We
dentbeen omitted. This is confirmed  should have thought that his very
by the fact that the ancient versions convictions of conscience would ha -e
for the most part exhibit its equiva- unnerved his arm, and rendered him
lent. —--' They compassed him in. all but absolutely powerless.   But




B. C. 1120.1              CHAPTER  XVI.                            205
ers, and carried them  up to the  tines came up unto her, and said
top of an hill that is before He- unto her, bEntice him, and see
bron.                               wherein his great strength lieth,
4 ~ And it came to pass after- and by what means we may preward, that he loved a woman in  vail against him, that we may
the valley of Sorek, whose name bind him to afflict him: and we
was Delilah.                          b ch. 14. 15. See Prov. 2. 16-19, and 6. 35 And the lords of the Philis- 1, and 6. 24, 25, 26, and 7. 21, 22, 23.
God may have wise reasons for de- interest instead of affection, if indeed
ferring the punishment of those sins it be not profaning the term affection
which yet do by no means pass with  to use it in connexion with such an
impunity.  Samson is reprieved but illicit and degrading intercourse.- Of
not pardoned —~A /hillthtatzisbefore  the position of the valley of Sorek
RIebron.  Rightly  understood  and nothing certain is known.-As to the
rendered by the Sept.' which looketh  name of this vile woman,'Delilah,'
towards Hebron;' for the town of its import is that of humbling, abasH-Iebron was twenty miles distant ing, bring-ing down, and like hunfrom Gaza.                          dreds of other names in the Scriptures,
4. It came to pass afterward, that originating in events, may have been
lie loved a woman, &c. It is to be derived from the evil influence which
feared that Samson's impunity, at she exerted upon Samson.
least for the present, in the former. 5. Entice hiMn, ancd see, &c.' The
instance, emboldened him  to give princes of the Philistines,' as Bp.
way a second time to unhallowed de- Hall shrewdly remarks,' knew alsires.' Custom of success makes men ready where Samson's weakness lay,
confident in their sins, and causes though not his strength, and therethem to mistake an arbitrary tenure  fore they would entice his harlot
for a perpetuity.' Bp. Hall.  The  with gifts to entice him.' These five
same idea is more emphatically ex- satraps made common cause on this
pressed by Solomon:-' Because sen- occasion, considering Samson a pubtenee against an evil work is not exe- lie enemy whom it equally concerned
cuted speedily, therefore the heart of them  all to crush if possible.the sons of men is fully set in them  It Wherein his great strength lieth.
to do evil.' It is not indeed expressly I Rather, Heb. 5111 Il-t t.Zh bamlnth
affirmed that this woman was a har- ko'hzu gidol, w1hereby, orfol~ what ca6.se
lot, like the former, but from the ten- his strenvgth, is (so) great. Perhaps
or of the ensuing narrative, it is imagining it was the effect of some
scarcely to be questioned that she charm, spell, or amulet, which he
was. She is no where called his carried about with him, and that if
wife; he did not take her home to they could get possession of this, they
his house; and the whole train of would soon have him in their power.
her negotiations with hercountrymen  — rf T'ha we smay bind Aim to aflict
go to prove that she was a mercenary Aim.  Or, Heb.'to humble, to deand perfidious courtezan, governed  press, to bring him  low.' They do
in her conduct towards Samson by not say expressly'to kill him,' though
18




206                          JUDGES.                     LB. C. 1120.
will give thee every one of us wherewith  thou  mightest be
eleven hundred pieces of silver. bound to afflict thee?
6 IT And Delilah said to Sam-  7 And Samson said unto her,
son, Tell mne, I pray thee, where- If they bind me with seven green
in thy great strength lieth, and  withs, that were never dried,
this was their ultimate intention, but sufficient self-possession to elude her
they no doubt saw  that the plain  cunning,
avowal of sutch a bloody purpose   7. If they bind me with seven greese
would shock too much whatever feel- withs, &c.  How Samson's veracity
ings of woman yet remained in the in this reply is to be vindicated, we
bosom of Delilah, and would thus de- know  not.  Probably the sarle ohfeat their plan; besides, it is clear tuseness of conscience which made
from the event that they designed by him insensible to the guilt of one
a series of aggravated insults and in- species of sin, rendered him reckless
juries to torture and break down his of another.  How fearful the effects
spirit, and thus prolong their triumph of suffering the moral sense to be
before putting the finishing stroke to deadened by a single case of wilful
it in his death.- IT. Eleven huLnded transgression! As the word translatpieces of silver.  These pieces of sil- ed' withs,' (Vn yct/her,) is a general
ver were probably shekels, and the word for royc, or cod, we learn by
total sum according to our computa- the use of the epithet'green,'. that
tion would amount to upwards of the ropes in use among the Hebrews,
92,000, a vast bribe for the time and like those employed in many other
country.                            countries and flormed of osiers, hazels,
6. Delilah.said to Sacmson, Tellme, &c., were made of crude vegetable
Ipray thee, wherein thy g'reat strength materials, such as vines, tendrils,
lieth. It can scarcely be supposed that pliable twisted rods, or the tough
this question was so bluntly and na- fibres of trees. And Joseph us expressIedly propounded as here stated, as ly says that the ropes with which
in that case her treacherous design  Samson was bound were made of the
could not well have failed to betray tendrils of the vine. Such ropes are
itself. It is the general usage of the still used in the East, and while they
sacred writers merely to give the remain green are stronger than any
leading incidents, the prominent out- other. In India the legs of wild elelines, of the events which they relate, phants and buffaloes newly caught
leaving the details to be supplied by are commonly bound with bonds of
the reflection of the reader..In this this sort; those of hemp and flax becase she undoubtedly plied all her ing rarelyfoundthere. Exceptsorne
arts of blandishment and persuasion, that are formed of hair or leather,
and  by taking  advantage  of his they are generally made of the fibres
yielding moods, and expressing her of trees  (particularly of the palm
admiration of his wonderful exploits, tree), of roots, of grasses, and of reeds
aimed to throw him off his guard, and rushes.  They are in general
and thus win his secret from  him'tolerably strong, but in no degree
unawares.  But as yet, he retained  comparabletoonrown hempen ropes.




B. C. 1120.]            CHAPTER  XVI.                            207
then shall I be weak, and be as thee, Samson.  And he brake
another man.                       the withs as a thread of tow is
8 Then the lords of the Philis- broken when  it toucheth  the
tines brought up to her seven  fire.  So his strength was not
green withs, which had not been  known.
dried, and she bound him with   10 And Delilah said unto Samthem.                              son, Behold, thou hast mocked
9 (Now there were men lying  me, and told me lies: now  tell
in wait, abiding with her in the'me, I  pray  thee, wherewith
chamber.)  And she said unto  thou mightest be bound.
him, the  Philistines  be upon   11 And he said unto her, If
Though light, yet wanting in cornm- but if so, how could he but have been
pactness, they are much thicker than aware of their presence? That which
those employed by us, and are gene- we have given is the true rendering.
rally rough and coarse to the eye. The Heb. Mn  Idlh, is not' with her,'
The Septuagint, however, by trans- but'to or for her,' i. e. subservient
lating the Hebrew  by velpats iypats, to her designs.-IT The Philistines
and the Vulgate by nerviceis fsunibus, be upon thee, Samson. Are at hand
understand these bonds to be cords to surprise and take thee; probably,made of the sinews of cattle, or per- the concerted signal for the men lyhaps out of raw hides, which make ing in wait to rush into the room, and
exceedingly strong cords. But the if the experiment succeeded, and his
objection to this rendering is, that limbs were effectually manacled, to
animal sinews or hides when'green,' make him  prisoner at once. -
i. e. humid, recent, have less strength  ~ When it tomcheth the fire. Heb.
than when thoroughly dried.  The 1 ClM11M~, bahari'hse ash, when it
former is doubtless the true interpre- smelleth the fire; i. e. when it pertation.-TrBe as anotherman. Heb. ceiveth, feeleth, or hath a sensation
$tSiT'n In kaa'hod hAidam, as one of the fire; metaphorically spoken.
man, i. e. as any man.             The use of the term' smell,' in this
8. And she bound him with them. sense in the Hebrew is somewhat pePerhaps in dalliance, in a sportive culiar.  Thus Job 14. 9, speaking of
way, as though she were only half a tree cut down,'Yet through the
in earnest, or at any rate wished scent of water it will bud:' i. e.
only to gratify her own curiosity, through the perception. of water. Ps.
and see if what he had told her was 59. 9,' Before your pots can feel the
true.                              thorns.' -Heb. can smell the thorns.
9. Now  there were men lying in Dan. 3. 27,'Neither were their coats
vwait, abiding with her in the chamber.  changed, nor the smell of fire had
Heb.'and the lier in wait (collect. passed on them;' i. e. the feeling, the
sing. for plur.) sat for her in an inner perception of fire.
apartment.' Our translation very er-   10. And Delilah said unto Samson,
roneously represents the liers in wait ] &c. After the lapse of some considas abiding in the same chamber erable time, when she saw that her
where she and Samson now were; blandishments had given her an ad



208                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1120.
they  bind  me fast with  new lson, Hitherto thou hast mocked
ropes that never were occupied, me, and told me lies: tell me
then shall I be weak, and be as wherewith  thou  mightest be
another man.                       bound.  And he said unto her,
12 Delilah therefore took new  If thou weavest the seven locks
ropes, and bound him therewith, of my head with the web.
and said unto him, The Philis-   14 And she fastened it with the
tines  be upon  thee, Samson. pin, and said  unto  him, The
(And  there were liers in wait Philistines be upon thee, Samabiding in the chamber.)  And son.  And he awaked out of his
he brake them from off his arms sleep, and went away with the
like a thread.                     pin of the beam, and with the
13 And Delilah said unto Sam- web.
vantage over him.; for to renew the verse seems to end abruptly, but the
attempt to worm  out of him his se- supplementary clause,' Then shall I
cret, immediately after her failure be like another man,' is easily supwould, of course, have been bad po- plied from the context.
licy.                                14. And she fastened it with the pin.
11. If they bind me fast with new  Rather, she fastened it with a pin.,ropes.  Heb. >r'1=   abothim, from  Heb. *I'"" Stjlh tithka bayyathed,
n.Y aboth, to wreathe, braid, twist to- Both the original words occur in the
gether, to make thic/k by owreathing, account of Jael's driving ('lnMn)
and implying ropes or cords of the the pin ('1n") into Sisera's temthickest and strongest description, ples, and the probability is, that the
probably answering nearly to the idea web, with Samson's lock interwoven,
of our modern cables. The material, was in some way secured by being
however, may have been the same fixed to a strong pin which was
with that of the I2~Dh  yetherim, driven either into the ground or into
mentioned above -9   That neei-er the wall, as the Septuagint underwere occuvpied.   Heb.'wherewith  stands it. Or rather, as the looms at
work bath not been done.'          that period were very simple, the
13. The seven locks of my head. words may import that the loom itHeb. [ln}1bl  VWs sheba ma'hlephoth, self was more firmly secured by
the seven braids or plaits; into which  means of the pin driven into the
probably the hair of Samson was ground. —---  With the pinof thebeam,
braided. As seven, however, is a &c. But what was'the pin of the
usual term in the Scriptures for conl- beam?' No intelligible sense is afpleteness or universality, it may here forded by the phrase, nor from our
be equivalent simply to'all my ignorance of the exact structure of
locks.'  His strength, he tells her, the ancient loom is it perhaps possible
would be weakened if these were in- to assign one. The literal rendering
terwoven with the warp which was of the original seems to be,'He
in a loom haril by, perhaps in the went away with the pin, the weaving
same room; whrich might be the place implements, and the web;' in othet
where Delilah used to weave. This words, he took away the whole ap



B. C. 1120.]           CHAPTER  XVI.                           209
15 IT And she said unto him,  16 And it came to pass when
cHow  canst thou  say, I love she pressed him daily with her
thee, when thine heart is not words, and urged him, so that
with me?  Thou hast mocked his soul was vexed unto death;
me these three times, and hast  17 That he d told her all his
not told me wherein thy great heart, and said unto her, e There
strength lieth.                   hath not come a razor upon
e ch. 14. 16.            d Mic. 7. 5. e Num. 6. 5. ch. 13. 5.
paratus together.  We doubt if any fatal secret is at length extorted from
thing more definite could be elicited him, andthe mighty Nazarite remains
from the words.                   scarcely a common man! So perfect15 When t/liine heart is not with ly captivated and intoxicated had he
me. When thou dost not lay open become, notwithstanding  repeated
thy heart to me; when thou'canst warnings, by the vehemence of his
not trust me with its secrets.  An affection, that,'like the silly dove
important practical truth lies at the without heart,' he rushed upon his
foundation of this remonstrance of ruin! Had he not been completely
Delilah.  It is true, that'they only infatuated, he would have seen behave our love, who have our hearts,' fore that no alternative remained to
and the remark holds eminently in him but to break away at once and
regard to love to God. If we profess at all hazards from the enchantress,
to love Him while the warmth of our and quit the field where it was so
affection is withholden, and a cold evident that he could not keep his
reserve takes the place of that free, ground. But no chains are stronger
filial, and unreserved intercourse, than those woven by illicit love, and
which is the privilege of his people, with him who becomes their prisoner,
what is to be inferred from it, but reputation, life, usefulness, yea, even
that we are deceiving ourselves with God's glory, and the salvation of the
an empty show!  His demand is, soul, are put to peril in obedience to'My son, give me thy heart.'      its unhallowed dictates.  But the
16, 17. W7en she pressed him daily righteous judgment of God is not to
-he told her all his heart. Alas I how  be overlooked in this fearful fall of
are the mighty fallen! WVhat an af- the champion of Israel. Having so
fecting exhibition of the weakness of long presumptuously played with his
human nature evens in its best estate! ruin, Heaven leaves him to himself
WeMl could Samson now adopt the as a punishment for his former guilty
language of Solomon;-' I find more indulgence. He is made to reap as
bitter than death the woman whose he had sown, and consigned to the
heart is snares and nets, and her hands of his enemies for' the dehands are bands: whoso pleaseth struction of the flesh that the spirit
God shall escape from her; but the might be saved in the day of the
sinner shall be taken by her.' Wea- Lord Jesus.' But it becomes not us
ried out by the ceaseless upbraidings to exult over the apostasy of the
of his vile paramour; and enslaved fallen.' We wonder that a man
oy the violence of his passion, the could possibly be so sottish, and vet
18*




210                          JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1120.
mine head; for I have been a of the Philistines, saying, Come
Nazarite unto God from my mo- up this once, for he hath showther's womb: if I be shaven, ed me all his heart.  Then the
then my strength will go from  lords of the Philistines came up
me, and I shall become weak, unto her, and brought money in
and be like any other man.         their hand.
18 And when Delilah saw that  19 f And she made him sleep
he had told her all his heart, upon her knees; and she called
she sent and called for the lords             fProv. 7. 26, 27.
we ourselves by temptation become by which he was bound, and made
no less insensate.  Sinful pleasures,. him break away with his secret but
like a common Delilah, lodge in our half divulged! Strange, that whet
bosoms; we know they aim at nothing his own voice thus pronounced his
but the death of our soul; we will condemnation, he should have reyield to them and die. Every will- mained as insensible as the nether
ing sinner is a Samson; let us not mill-stone!-T If I be shaven, then
inveigh against his senselessness, but my str'ength will go from me, &c.
our own: nothing is so gross and un- Not that his strength lay in his hair,
reasonable to a well-disposed mind, for this in fact had no natural influwhich temptation will not represent ence upon it, one way or the other.
fit and plausible.  No soul can, out His strength arose from his peculiar
of his own strength, secure himself relation to God as a Nazarite, and
from that sin which he most detest- the preservation of his hair unshaveth.' Bp. Hall. Let us learn hence, en or unshorn was the mark or signs
(1) That fidelity is never to be ex- of his Nazariteship, and a pledge on
pected from those who show an utter the part of God of the continuance
unfaithfulness to God, and have stifled of his miraculous physical powers.
and triumphed over the inward warn- If he lost this sign, the badge of his
ing voice or conscience.  (2) That consecration, he broke his vow, and
when the heart is infatuated by un- consequently forfeited the thing siglawful desire, repeated warnings of nified. God abandoned him, and he
danger will be disregarded. (3)That was thenceforward no more, in this
they who feel themselves unable to respect, than a common man; at
resist the importunity of their tempt- least, was deprived of supernatural
ers should instantly fly from their strength.
dangerous presence.-  ~Ihavebeen    18. WMen Delilah saw, &c. When
a Nazarite unto God from my mother's she became satisfied by the serious
wovmb. What a confession to be made tone in which he spake, and by the
in the lap of a vile Delilah! What various tokens to be read in his couna commentary'upon his words was tenance, air, general manner, &c.,
afforded by his present condition! that he had told her the truth.
Strange that the utterance of a sen-   19. Made him sleep upon her knees.
tence betraying such a glaring incon- A custom very common in the East.
sistency in his conduct should not' It is very amusing to see a fullhave awakened him  from the spell grown son, or a husband, asleep on




B. C. 1120.]           CHAPTER  XVI.                          211
for a man, and she caused him  And he awoke out of his sleep,
to shave off the seven locks of and said, I will go out as at other
his head;  and she began  to  times before, and shake myself.
afflict him, and  his strength  And he wist not that the LORD
went from him.                    g was departed from him.
20 And she said, The Philis-   g Num. 14. 9, 42,43. Josh. 7. 12. 1 Sam.
tines  be upon thee,  Samson. 164, and 18. 12. and 28. 15, 16. 2 Chron.
his mother's or wife's knees.  The 1- His strength went frosm him.
plan is as follows: the female sits Having now violated the conditions
cross-legged on the carpet or mat, and of his Nazarite vow, on which it dethe man having laid himself down, pended.' He that sleeps in sin must
puts his head in her lap, and she look to wake in loss and weakness.'
gently taps, strokes, sings, and soothes Bp. Hall.
him to sleep.' Roberts.- S    Caused   20. Awoke out of his sleep, and said.
him to shave off. Heb. MInn1 vatte- That is, said to himself, thought, regalla'h, shaved of; that is, by the solved.-~ Will go out-and shake
agency of another, as well rendered myself.  Shake myself free from the
in our common version.'Thata man fetters with which I am bound, and
should be able not only to cut, but to rid myself of the enemies that would
shave off the hair, on which, during be upon me. It is not indeed exall Samson's life, razor had never pressly stated that he was bound at
before come, implies either that Sam- this time, but the probability is that
son slept very soundly, or that the such was the case, that Delilah had
man was very dexterous in his craft. slyly tied his hands while he was
In fact the Oriental barbers do their asleep.-    Wist not that the Lord
work with so much ease, as torender was departedfrom him. Being newthe shaving of the head (the head is ly awakened out of sleep, he knew
usually shaven in the East) rather not that his head had been shaven of
grateful than unpleasant. The most its locks, and therefore did not susdelicate sleeper would scarcely be pect that God had withdrawn his
awakened by it; and even those who special influences from him. This
are awake are scarcely sensible of circumstance may serve as a striking
the operation which they are under- illustration of what often happens to
going.' Pict. Bible.-    Began to those who have provoked God by
afflict him. That is, from this act of their transgressions. By a righteous
hers commenced that series of insults, dereliction he leaves them; he withinjuries, and humiliations, which his draws his favorable presence; and
enemies had before, v. 5, announced yet, like Samson, they are not aware
their intention to bring upon him. of the desertion. They feel not the
He had hitherto sported thoughtlessly loss they have sustained; at least till
upon the brink of the precipice of they begin to be sensible by frustrated
degradation and ruin, and now his schemes and adverse providences,
fall can no longer be delayed. As that it is not with them as in days
the next step in his downward career, that are past. Though their souls
his miraculous strength forsakes him. languish and grow weak, and their




212                         JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1120
21 IT But the Philistines took bound him with fetters of brass,
him, and put out his eyes, and f and he did grind in the prisonbrought him down to Gaza, and house.
gifts as well as their graces wither, effect plucked out for him  in the
and others perceive their spiritual righteous providence of God.decline, yet astrange delusionis upon'FBound htim qwith fetters of brass. A
them; they know not their real state; proof that iron, though now  well
they fancy themselves in health and known, had not yet come into geneprosperity when the sources of both ral use; as otherwise we should
are effectually undermined within doubtless have found Samson bound
them..' God is departed from him' with fetters of that material. The
expresses one of the most fearful emphasis here is not on brass, as disforms of the divine judgments.    tinauished from any other metal; but
21. Pqut out Ihis eves. Heb. ]lr1   to show that his fetters were of metal;
yenaklkeru, bogred out.' With the and that he was not, like the common
Greeks and Asiatics, the way of put- class of offenders, bound with ropes
ting out the eyes, or blinding, was or thongs of leather.-  T He did
not (always) by pulling or cutting grind in the prison-house. Of course
out the eyes, as some have imagined; with mill-stones worked by the hands,
but by drawing, or holding a red-hot this being still the usual method of
iron before them. This method is grinding corn in the East. It is an
still in use in Asia. According to employment, however, which usually
Chardin, however, the pupils of the devolves on women; and to assign
eyes were more frequently pierced it to such a man as Samson, was
and destroyed on such occasions. doubtless with a view to reduce him
But Thevenot says,' that the eyes to the lowest state of degradation and
in those barbarous acts are taken dishonor. To grind corn for others,
out whole, with the point of a dag- was, even for a woman, a proverbial
ger, and carried to the king in a ba- term, expressing the most degraded
sin.'  He adds, that,'as the king and oppressed condition; and how
sends whom  he pleases to do that much more for Samson, who seems
cruel office, some princes are so but- to have been made grinder-general
chered by unskilful hands, that it for the prison-house.
costs them their lives.' In Persia it,'Ask for this great deliverer now, and find
is no unusual practice for the king to    him
punish a rebellious city or province Eyeless at Gaza, at the mill with slaves.'
by exacting so many pounds of eyes;                        Milton
and his executioners accordingly go The champion and avenger of Israel
and scoop out from every one they is now become the drudge and the
meet, till they have the weight re- sport of the Philistines. The crown
quired.'  Berder.  Thus was the is fallen from his head, and his honor
lust of the eye in looking after and laid in the dust. We are ready to
gazing upon strange women punish- pity the degraded judge of Israel,
ed.  The offending organ that he when we see him reduced to such a
had refused to pluck out was in state of misery by his enemies; but




B. C. 1120.]           CHAPTER  XVI.                           213
22 Howbeit the hair of his listines gathered them  together,
head began to grow  again after for to offer a great sacrifice unto
he was shaven.                    Dagon their god, and to rejoice:
23 Then the lords of the Phi- for they said, Our god hath dewhile we pity the man, we congratu- God was pleased, therefore, having
late the sinner, to whose final salva- hereby become reconciled to his oftion these heavy trials were made fending servant, to accept the re..
subservient.  Let us not, however, newal of his vow of Nazariteship,
lose sight of the solemn lesson which including the consecration of his
his misery teaches us.  What a hair, and in consequence of that acwarning to those who' yield their ceptance re-invested him, as his hair
members instruments of iniquity.' grew, with the powers which he had
They will find their bondage bitter before lost. In the language of Bp.
and unbearable when they are final- Hall,'his hair grew together with
ly bound with the chains which their his repentance, and his strength With
sins have forged for them.        his hair.' The practical reflections
22. The hair of his head began to of the same writer on this part of
grow again, after he was shaven. Ra- Samson's history are equally striking
ther, Heb.' according as it had been and just.'It is better for Samson to
shaved;' i. e. in the same proportions be blind in prison, than to abuse his
as it had been cut off. This circum- eyes in Sorek; yea, I may safely
stance, though in itself inconsidera- say, he was more blind when he saw
ble, is mentioned by way of suitable licentiously, than now that he sees
preface to what follows.  The let- not; he was a greater slave when he
ting the hair grow was a prominent served his affections, than now in
circumstance in the condition of a grinding for the Philistines.  The
Nazarite; and the  extraordinary loss of his eyes shows him his sin,
strength of Samson was not a matter neither could he see how ill he had
of thews and sinews, but was con- done till he saw not.' Bp. Hall.
ferred upon him as a special gift of   23. The lards of the Philistines
God, on condition of his remaining gathered themr together, &c.  This
in the state of Nazariteship. The great festival scene had evidently
loss of his hair did not in itself de-. been somre time delayed, as appears
prive him of strength; but the loss from the fact of Samson's hair havof his hair involved the loss of his ing had time to grow in the interstrength, because it took from him  val; but perhaps the necessary prethe condition of a Nazarite, with parations for so grand an occasion
which  his extraordinary physical consumed considerable time, or it
powers were inseparably connected. may have been the second anniversaAccordingly, when  we find him  ry of the deliverance of their enemy
again growing strong, after the re- into their hands.-   T Unto Dagon
newed growth of his hair, we are their god. A deity of the Philistines
bound to believe that it was not be- generally represented as having the
cause his hair grew; but because he head and upper parts human, while
repented of his past misconduct. the rest of the body resembled a fish.




214                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1120.
livered Samson our enemy into them  sport: and they set him
our hand.                         between the pillars.
24 And when the people saw   26 And Samson said unto the
him, they h praised their god: lad that held him by the hand,
for they said, Our god hath de- Suffer me that I may feel the
livered into our hands our ene- pillars  whereupon  the  house
my, and the destroyer of our standeth, that I may lean upon
country; which slew  many of them.
us.                                27 Now the house was full of
25 And it came to pass, when  men and women: and all the
their hearts were'merry, that lords of the  Philistines  were
they said, Call for Samson that there: and there were upon the
he may make us sport.  And kroof about three thousand men
they called for Samson out of and women, that beheld while
the prison-house; and he made Samson made sport.
h Dan. 5. 4. i ch. 9. 27.             k Deut. 22. 8.
It was called Derceto, among the enemies. The idea doubtless is simheathens, though the Heb. word'Da- ply, that he should be brought out to
gon,' comes from'Dag,' afisA. The become a laughing-stock to them, a
Philistines living on the sea coast, butt for their scoffs, mockeries, and
they had a sea-idol.-~ Our god hah insults.  Accordingly the Sept. verdelivered, &c.  Though they knew  sion of the next clause has,'And
that he was betrayed into their hands they buffeted him;' and Josephus says,
by Delilah, yet they foolishly attrib- he was brought out,' that they might
ute it to their god. The circumstance, insult him in their cups.' But their
however, affords a hint worth taking. triumphing was short, and their joy
If even a Philistine ascribes his vic. but for a moment.' Nothing fills the
tories to his idol gods, how much measure of the iniquity of any permore are we bound to pay a similar son, or people, faster than mocking,
tribute to our God, and give him the or misusing the servants of God, yea,
glory of every great and good work though it is by their own folly that
done by us, in us, or for us.     they are brought low. Those know
25. When their hearts were merry. not what they do, nor whom they afHeb. =     t ~', As ki tob libbam, when front, that make sport with a good
their heart was good.  A. parallel man.' Henry.
usage occurs Ruth: 3. 7; 1 Sam. 25.   27. Upon the roof about three thou.
36, and elsewhere. —IT That he may sand men and womenb. The house or
make us sport. That is, passively, temple itself was full of the princithat he may be a subject of sport and pal people below; while about three
merriment to us; that we may make thousand, probably of the lower orourselves merry at his expense.  It ders, had stationed themselves upon
is quite improbable, we think, that the roof, the roofs of eastern build.
Samson, a poor blind prisoner, should ings, as is well known, being genebe required actively to engage in any rally flat. In answer to the question,
thing that should make sport to his how this large number of persons on




B. C. 1120.]            CHAPTER  XVI.                            215
28 And  Samson  called  unto  thee, only this once, 0  God,
the  LORD, and said, 0  Lord  that 1 may be at once avenged
GoD,   remember me, I pray  of the Philistines for my two
thee, and strengthen me, I pray  eyes.
Jer. 15. 15.           2,9 And Samson took hold of
the roof could have seen Samson graciously heard and answered of
while made the subject of mirth be- God, and though he himself did not
low 2-it may be remarked, that we live to recite or record it, yet God,
are to form our ideas of the scene, by revealing it to the inspired penfrom the style of building common man, provided for its being registerto the East. The edifice in question ed for the benefit of the church.
undoubtedly formed a part of a quad- Whether it is to be considered as
rangular pile of building and walls, embracing all that he inwardly uthaving a court or area in the centre, tered, or merely the general drift,
where Samson might be exhibited  the substance of it, is uncertain;
with ease to the whole assembled probably the latter, according to premultitude. The principal building vailing usage in the Scripture style
in such structures generally occu- of narration. By praying that God
pies that side of the inclosure which  would once more remember and
faces the entrance, and is advanced strengthen him, he virtually acknowconsiderably out of the line of the ledged that all the wonderful exploits
square.  It is, moreover, usually he had hitherto performed were owconstructed with an open front to ing to a strength given him  from
afford a clear view of what is going above, and that he would be poweron in the court, having curtains to less for the present achievement unbe drawn up or let down at pleasure, less the same divine aid were granted
and supported by two or more pillars him. True it is, if we regard the
either in the front or in the centre. bare letter of his petition, it has the
Samson probably after having been air of being prompted mainly by a
for some time paraded about the spirit of revenge; but from God'sacarea, where every one could see him, cepting and answering the prayer, it
requested to be conducted within the cannot be doubted, that he looked
part of the edifice now described, upon himself in this transaction, not
that he might rest himself against as a private but as a public person,
its pillars, see on v. 29.         extraordinarily called to be the in28. Samson called unto the Lord,  strument of a signal act of vengeance
and said, &c. It is scarcely to be to the enemies of Israel and of' God.
presumed that this prayer was ut- The indignities heaped upon himtered audibly.  It was rather, we self had indeed been gi'eat and grievmay suppose, a mental petition, ous, and such as would be in fact
breathed forth from the depths of a worthily punished in the catastrophe
broken heart, where godly sorrow  which he meditated. But this was
had been doing its perfect work. not his leading motive. The conBut though the voice of his prayer sideration of his personal sufferings
was not heard of man, yet it was was merged in a holy zeal for the




216                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1120.
the  two  middle pillars  upon he bowed himself with all his
which the house stood, and on might; and the house fell upon
which it was borne up, of the the lords, and upon all the peoone with his right hand, and of ple that were therein.  So the
the other with his left.          dead which he slew at his death
30 And Samson said, Ldt me were more than they which he
die with the Philistines.  And slew in his life.
Lord of hosts, the vindication of sufficient to unite the ends of at least
whose glory was of infinitely more one hundred beams that tended to
consequence than the avengement the centre; therefore, I say, there
of his own wrongs. In putting out must have been a short architrave
his eyes, they had'touched the apple' resting upon two pillars, upon which
of God's eye, and this was not to be all the beams tending to the centre
done with impunity.  Under the in- might be supported.  Now if Samfluence of this feeling, combined son by his miraculous strength presswith the consciousness that his own ing on one (or both) these pillars,
past misconduct would be -no more moved it from its basis, the whole
than justly visited by a painful end, roof must of necessity fall.'  (Hewhe cheerfully  devotes himself to lett's Bible.)   ~[ Onb which it was
death.                            borne up. This idea had been al29. Took hold of the two middle ready expressed in the words immepillars ulpon which the haouse stood. diately preceding, nor does the oriTo this it has been objected, How  ginal so well admit this rendering.
could a roof capableofaccommodat- The  Heb.          T-rq V7 17j' yisshmitk
ing three thousand persons, be sup- alihtem, may, we think, be more corported upon two pillars? But it is rectly translated,'he leaned or staynot said that there were no more ed himself upon them.'
than two. There might have been   30. Let me die. I am content to
several others not standing in the die, if the glory of God requires it;
middle or central part of the build- as at once a suitable punishment to
ing, which contributed to the support me, and means of judgment to the
of the roof, when at the same time Philistines. Heb.'let my soul die:'
the removal of the two in question, i. e. according to Hebrew usage, let
would, more than all the rest, endan- my life become extinct. As to his
ger the fall of the whole edifice.'soul,' as we understand the term, he
The celebrated architect, Sir Chris- would of course pray that that might
topher Wren, says, that in consider- live.  Samson's death is no warrant
ing what kind of fabric it must be for suicide, as it does not appear that
that could with one pull be demolish- he dir'ectly sought it, or designed to
ed, he conceived to himself a vast bring it about any farther than as it
roof of cedar beams resting at one might be the inevitable consequence
end upon the walls, and centering at of destroying so many of the enemies
the other upon one short architrave of his people. He may be considered
that united two cedar pillars in the therefore as having perished in the
middle.' One pillar would not be same way as if he had fallen in bat



B. C. 1120.]            CHAPTER  XVI.                           217
31 Then his brethren and all tween Zorah and Eshtaol in the
the house of his father came burying-place  of Manoah  his
down, and took him, and brought father.  And he judged Israel
him up, and mburied him  be- twenty years.
m ch. 13. 25.
tle like Josiah, 2 Chron. 36. 23, 34, and burying his dead body. It was
retisting the invaders of his country. selected out from heaps of the slain,
- 11 He bowed himself with all his brought honorably to his own counnzg'/t, and tLe house ftll, &c.  With try, and interred in the sepulchre of
arms extended he grasps the massy his fathers.-Thus terminates the
pillars, and feeling an answer to his history of one of the most remarkprayer in the renewed strength be- able personages that ever distinstowed upon him, he bends himself guished the annals of the Jewish
forward with all his force; the pil- or any other people. We may learn
lars rock, the building totters, the roof, from  it, that great gifts are often
encumbered with the weight of the connected with great imperfections.
spectators, rushes down, and death in The champion of Israel possessed
every tremendous shape appears. courage and strength, and did signal
Crushed under the load or dashed to service to his country in contending
pieces in the fall, thousands expire. with its enemies; but he had little
Their music is now changed to dy- self-government, and affords a meling groans; and shrieks of agonizing: ancholy proof how little corporeal
pain, instead of songs of triumph, fill prowess avails when judgment and
the air. Thus dies the mighty Sam- prudence are wanting, and how danson, triumphant in his fall, and more gerous, in fact, are all such gifts in
terrible to the Philistines in his death the hands of any one, who has not
than even during his life. Who can his passions under proper discipline,
in this but be reminded of that ado- and the fear of God continually berable Saviour, who'triumphed over fore his eyes. While, as a Nazarite,
principalities and powers upon the lihe was careful to abstain from strong
cross, and by death overcame him  drink, he took little heed to cultivate
that had the power of death, and de- that purity of sentiment and conduct
livered those who through fear of which is a crown to every other exdeath were all their lifetime subject cellence, and the want of which
to bondage?'                      never fails to sully the lustre of the
31. Then his brethren-came down brightest characters.-It may here
and took him. The overwhelming be remarked, that from the history
catastrophe which had destroyed the of Samson it is generally supposed
lives of so many of the lords and in- was derived that of the Hercules of
ferior rulers of the people, seems to the pagan mythology, and M. De
have been such a crush to the Phil- Lavour, an ingenious French writer,
istine power, that they troubled Is- has drawn out the parallel at full
rael no more for several years, and length, an abridgment of which may
did not even attempt to hinder Sam- be seen in Dr. A. Clark's commenson's relations from  taking away tary. The coinmleu;sisd are certain19




218                        JUDGES.                    B., C. 1406.
CHAPTER  XVII.              The eleven hundred shekels of
A  ND  there was a man of silver that were taken from thee,
mount  Ephraimn, whose about which thou cursedst, and
name was Micah.                   spakest of also in mine ears, be2 And he said unto his mother, hold, the silver is with me; I
ly very striking, and to most minds curred.  The sad story of the Lewould perhaps afford an additional vite's concubine and the war with
proof of how much the heathen have Benjamin, occupies the remaining
been indebted to the Bible.       part of the appendix. These incidents are expressly said, ch. 20. 28,
CHAPTER  XVII.            to have occurred while Phineas, the
That the events related in the re- grandson of Aaron, was high-priest,
maining chapters of this book did and must therefore be assigned to
not occur in the order in which they about the same period.
stand in the sacred narrative, is universally admitted.  They constitute   1. A man of mount Ephraim, whose
a regular appendix to the book, name was Micah.  Heb.'
which is inserted here that it might Mikadybhu, (i. e. who is like Jehonot interrupt the previous history of vah?) but in the subsequent narrathe Judges. The events themselves tive the name is uniformly contractoccurred long before the time of ed into ns'  l Mikah&. This theJewSamson, and probably in the interval ish writers say is owing to the fact
that ensued after the death of Joshua of his having become an idolator,
and the elders who outlived him, and after which event the sacred penwhile the government was in a very man, they affirm, regarded it as a
unsettled state.  In chronological profanation of the name Jehovah to
order, the proper place for these have it connected in any manner
chapters would undoubtedly be be- with his. By' mount Ephraim' here
tween ch. 2. and 3., as remarked on is meant, as usual, the mountainous
ch. 3. 11. The history comprehend- parts of Ephraim.
ed in the present and the following   2. About which thou cursedst. Prochapter, is obviously connected with nouncedst an imprecation upon the
ch. 1. 34, where the reasons of the thief; or, perhaps, didst adjure or
emigration of a part of the tribe of put under oath all the family to disDan to the northern quarter of Ca- cover the money. It is not unlikely
naan are stated.'The Amorites that Micah, hearing this, was alarmforced the children of Dan into the ed and restored the money, lest the
mountain; for they would not suffer curses should fall on him. Although
them to come down to the valley.' not sufficiently restrained by moral
The consequence was, they sought principle to forbear the theft, yet his
a more enlarged inheritance, and conscience had not yet become so
while in the course of possessing hardened as to allow him to keep
themselves of this, the events here what he had stolen in despite of his
related, resulting in the establish- mother's imprecations. This shows
ment of idolatry in that tribe, oc- that he was a novice, and not a vet



B. C. 1406.]           CHAPTER  XVI1.                           2,
took it.  And his mother said, silver unto the LORD from  my
Blessed be thou of the LORD, hand for my son, to bmake a
my son.                            graven  image  and  a  molten
3 And when he had restored image: now therefore Iwill rethe eleven hundred shekels of store it unto thee.
silver to his mother, his mother  4 Yet he restored the money
said, I had wholly dedicated the unto his mother; and his mother
a Gen. 14. 19. Ruth 3. 10.       b See Ex. 20. 4,23. Lev. 19. 4.
eran, in sin; as otherwise he would through the hands of the founder and
not have scrupled to deny, excuse, been converted to the proposed imaor defend it, as he saw fit.      ges. Of these it would seem from
3. I had wholly dedicated the silver the letter of the text that there were
~unto the Lord.  A striking illustra- two, one sculptured of wood or stone,
tion of the mistaken ideas which had and then plated with silver, the other
arisen in Israel, and which gradu- made of the solid metal cast in a
ally led  them  on  to  downright mould. The original, however, will
idolatry.  Micah and his mother perhaps admit of the rendering,' a
seem to have intended to honor the graven image, even a molten image;'
true God by their proceedings, which i. e. an image in the first place gravwere nevertheless so contrary to the en or sculptured, and then molten, or
law, as really to expose them to be spread over with a layer of silver.
punished by death.  What they did The latter we think the preferable
seems to have been to set up a little sense, especially as in ch. 18. 30, 31,
religious establishment similar to mention is made only of the graven
that at Shiloh, with an imitation of image, and in the final clause of v.
the ark, cherubim, priestly dresses, 4, of this chapter, it is said in the
&c., and finally crowning the whole original,'And it was in the house
by obtaining a Levite to officiate as of Micah,' though in our version
priest; and all the while they thought arbitrarily and erroneously rendered,
they were doing God service! So'And they were in the house.' It will
blind and deluded in all ages have be remarked, moreover, that she apbeen those who have added their hu- propriated only two hundred out of
man inventions to God's perfect sys- the eleven hundred shekels to this
tem of worship'If religion might purpose, which would hardly have
be judged according to the (profess- been sufficient for the construction
ed) intention, there should scarce be of even one image of any size;
any idolatry in the world.' Bp. Hall. whereas if the silver were employed
-~T Now therefore I will restore st in plating or gilding, the quantity
unto thee. The apparent confusion would have been ample for a good
mn what is said in this and the ensu- sized statue. The remaining nine
ing verse of the'restoring' of the hundred shekels were probably laid
money, affords no little plausibility to out in the procurement of various
the rendering of this clause proposed other articles necessary to complete
by Schmid,'And then I will restore their sacred apparatus, particularly
it unto thee,' i. e. after it has passed the ephod and teraphim.




220                           JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1406.
"took  two  hundred shekels of d ephod and eteraphim, and consilver, and  gave  them  to the  secrated  one of his sons, who
founder, who  made  thereof a became his priest.
graven  image  and  a  molten   6 fIn those days there was no
image: and they were in the king in Israel,  but every man
house of Micah.                     did that which was right in his
5 And the man Micah had an  own eyes.
house  of gods, and  made an   d h. 8. 27. e Gen. 31. 19, 30. Hos. 3. 4.
Ex. 29. 9. 1 Kings 13. 33. f ch. 18. 1, and
Isa. 46. 6.           19. 1, and 21.25. Deut. 33. 5. g Deut. 12. 8.
4. Yet he restored the money. Heb. his estimation. The words convey a
t     trnl n Z SVl vayyashkev eth hakke- latent touch of sarcasm or irony, and
sepy, and he restored the money. This ought properly to constitute a period
should rather be rendered,'So he re- by themselves; the next clause would
stored the money.'  The  particle then begin with the repetition of the'yet' has an adversative import, and person,' and he made,' &c., i. e. proimplies something said or done in cured to be made; Of the Ephod, see
contrariety to another thing which on Ex. 28. 4; of the Teraphim, on
had happened before; and in this Gen. 21. 19, 30; and of the import
place it would convey this sense: of the Heb. word for'consecrate,''Notwithstanding what she said to Ex. 29. 9, 41; Lev. 7. 37.
him, yet he returned the money.'  6. In' those days there was no king
But he had returned the money be- in Israel, &c. Intimating the reas,. n
fore she spake to him last, and there- to which it was owing that such
fore there is no contrariety to be sup- gross enormities as those here menposed.'So,' on the other hand, is tionedshould have occurred. There
confirmative by repetition of what was no king, judge, or controlling
has been said.'So,' that is,'as it was power to take cognizance of them;
before observed, he returned the no one to give orders for destroying
money.'  The conjunction 1, here the images; no one to convince
translated'yet,' often signifies'so,' Micah of his error and  guilt in
and is thurs rightly rendered, as v. 10 making them, or to punish his ofof this chapter, and v. 21 of the next. fence; no one, in fine, to arrest in
5. And the rnan Micah had an house the outset an evil which was likely
of gods. Heb. tn'Z 15     f 1'Ri  to spread and infect the whole navt2~    vehhisA Mik&Ah lo beth Elohim, tion.'Every man did that which
and as to the man Micah, there vwas to was right in his own eyes, and then
him a house of God,' as the closing they soon did that which was evil in
phrase may be rendered. It is spok- the sight of the Lord.'  Henry.en of as the result of the whole trans- ~Did that which was right in his own
action; q. d.' Thus they managed  eyes. The original term' =3  yashar',
the matter, and lo! the man, the is the same as that applied by Samhumble individual, Micah, became son, ch 13. 3, to the Philistine wopossessed of a house of God, a sanc- man whom he urged his parents to
tuary!' implying  not that it was procure for him,' She is right in my
really such, but that it was such in eyes,' on which see note.




B1. C. 1406.1          CHAPTER  XVII.                         221
7 ~T And there was a young   9 And Micah said unto him,
man out of hBeth-lehem-judah Whence comest thou?  And he
of the family of Judah, who was said unto him, I am a Levite of
a Levite, and he sojourned there. Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to
8 And the man departed out sojourn whereImayfind aplace
of the city from  Beth-lehem-   10 And Micah said unto him,
judah,to sojourn where he could Dwell with me, iand be unto
find a place; and he came to me a k father and a priest, and I
mount Ephraim to the house of will give thee ten shekels of silMicah, as he journeyed.          ver by the year, and a suit of
2. Mic. 5.. 19Matt.. Ruth 1, 5 6.  i h. 18. 19. k Gen. 45. 8. Job 29. 16.
2. Mic.5.2. Matt..2. 1,5, 6.
7. A young man of Beth-lehem-Ju- whole Levitical order reduced to
dah. So called to distinguish it from  straits, yet it is scarcely conceivable
another Bethlehem in the tribe of that a Levite, for whom the law had
Zebulun. Josh. 19. 15.-  T Of the made such express provision, Dent.
family of Judah. This is doubtless 12, 19, saying,' Takeheed to thyself
to be understood, not of the young that thou forsake not the Levite as
man, but of the city.  He was of that long as thou livest upon the earth,'
city Bethlehem which pertained to should actually have been forced to
the family (i. e. tribe) of Judah, thus wander for a maintenance. It was
distinguishing the place with still probably rather owing to a native'
greater accuracy.  Otherwise the waywardness of disposition. Noris
words are scarcely intelligible; for there any thing related of this indihow could a Levite be at the same vidual calculated to shield him frcnm
time of the family of Judah —— And such an imputation.-Tr He came to
he sojourned there. Sojourned rather -the house of Micah as he journeyed.
than permanently dwelt; for Beth- Heb. l-t)' MVV) laasoth darko, to
lehem was not a Levitical city, and make his way. That is, without the
therefore not the appropriate resi- design of tarrying. He merely' turndence of one of the priestly tribe. ed aside as a wayfaring man to tarry
But it is probable that a good deal of for a night,' and contrary to his exliberty was allowed in this respect, pectation found an opening of which
and that especially in times of gen- he rashly concluded to avail himself.
eral laxness and confusion, the Le-   10. Be unto me a father and a priest.
vites were dispersed in a very irre- That is, be unto me a father even a
gular manner over every part of the priest, a spiritual father, a teacher,
land.                             guide, or overseer in religious things;
8. And the man, departed, &c. in which sense the word' father' rePrompted either by fancied neces- peatedly occurs in the sacred writers.
sity from the difficulty of obtaining See 2 Kings 6. 21; 8. 9; 13. 4; Is.
a livelihood, or by the impulse of a 22. 21.' He pretends reverence and
roving mind; or rather perhaps from  submission to him, and what is wantthe influence of both these causes ing in wages, he pays him in empty
combined.  The times were un-'titles.' Poole. —-A Tsuit of apparel.
doubtedly sadly degenerate, and the Heb.''  r rek begSdim, an
19*




222                         JUDGES.                   L1. C. 1406.
apparel, and thy victuals.  So the Levite; and the young man
the Levite went in.               mbecame his priest, and was in
11 And the Levite was con- the house of Micah.
tent to dwell with the man; and   13 Then  said  Micah, Now
the young man was unto him as know I that the LORD will do
one of his sons,                  me good, seeing I have a Levite
12  And Micah I consecrated to my priest.
I ver. 5.                       mch. 18. 30.
order of garments; Cocceius,'a fit- office, nor had the Levite any right
ting out of garments,' i. e. such as to think of accepting such a dignity,
would be suitable to wear on ordina- even had the occasion been lawful,
ry occasions, and such as he should for it appears from ch. 18. 30, that
need in his official ministrations.- this young man, whose name was
~ So the Levite went in. By no means Jonathan, was not of Aaron's family,
the exact import of the original, but the son of Gershom, another
which is 1I~'1 vayilek, and hte went branch of the same tribe.
or walked, whereas the appropriate   13. Now know I that the Lord will
term for'went in' is 21l' vayhbo. do me good, seeing, &c. Having proThey were doubtless already in the vided an epitome of the tabernacle,
house, when the bargain was con- with models of its various furniture,
cluded. Either the sense given to the such as the ark, the mercy-seat, the
words by Jarchi,' And he went after cherubim, &c., and having procured
his counsels,' i. e. Micah's; or that as- the proper sacerdotal vestments, with
signed by Kimchi,'And he went a Levite to wear them and officiate,
about the duties of his office,' comes he takes it for granted that all will
undoubtedly much nearer the scope now be well, and that he may confi.
of the writer. For the use of'walk' dently expect the divine blessing.
in the sense of ministerial service, see His delusion in this was very gross,
1 Sam. 2. 30, 35; and also note on and yet how strikingly does it repreGen. 5.22.                        sent the false confidences of ungodly'11. The Levite was content to men in every age. The fact of his
dwell. The original implies a pecu- having put away his son from the
liar complacency in dwelling with his priesthood of his establishment, and
employer. Being kindly treated and appointed one of the Levitical order,
receiving respectable wages for the seems to have banished all his doubts
times, he thought himself happy in and fears as to the issue, though his
lighting upon so eligible a situation. graven image still remained.  In
12. Consecrated the Levite. Heb. like manner, thousands flatter thembil lrc  tht  yemallM eth yad, filled selves that a partial reformation of
his hand; furnished him with the conduct, or the correction of a single
proper offering which he was to pre- fault, will atone for persisting in mulsent on his inauguration. The act, titudes of others, and that a decent
however, was wholly unlawful. Mi- observance of the prescribed forms of
cah had no right even to undertake religion will answer in the place of
to set apart a person to the priestly spirituality of mind and real purity




B. C. 1406.]          CHAPTER  XVIII.                          223
CHAPTER  XVIII.             sent of their family five men
N    those days there was no from their coasts, men of valor,
king in Israel: and in those from cZorah, and from Eshtaol,
days'the tribe of the Danites d to  spy out the  land, and to
sought them  an inheritance to search it; and they said unto
dwell in; for unto that day all them, Go, search the land: who
their inheritance had not fallen when they came to mount Ephunto them among the tribes of raim, to the ehouse of Micah,
Israel.                           they lodged there.
2 And the  children  of Dan   c ch. 13. 25. d Num. 13. 17. Josh. 2.1
a ch. 17. 6, and 21. 25. b Josh. 19. 47. e ch. 17. 1.
of heart. Though they retain their infatuation of Micah when he said,
idols, they will still cleave to their' Now know I that the Lord will do
altar and priest, and, serving God me good, seeing that I have a Leaccording to such rules as they have vite to my priest.'
laid down for thlemselves, have no fears
but that all will be well with them      CHAPTER XVIII.
both in this world and the next. And   1. In those days there was no king,
yet how often is it the case, that the in Israel. That is, about the time
very deeds of self-righteousness, in mentioned in the preceding chapter,
which they rely as commending them  and not long after the death of Joshto God's favor, are precisely the ones ua. —~ Thetribe of the Danites. Not
which he most abhors, and which  the whole, but a part of this tribe,
most effectually incur his wrath?  some families of it, to the number of
Let us then renounce every vain con- six hundred men of war with their
fidence. Let us not promise our- households, v. 16, 21.-~ Unto that
selves exemption from ill on the mere day all their inheritance had not fall.
ground of external privileges, or sa- en unto them among the tribes of Isra.
cred relations. The Jews could boast el. Not but that the tribe of Dan had
of having Abraham to their father, had an inheritance assigned to them
and the temple of God for their place as well as the other tribes, Josh. 19.
of worship, and esteem this a suffi- 40, but up to this time they were not
cient ground of hope, though living in the actual enjoyment of their posin constant violation of every known session.  In consequence of their
duty. Thus too it is certain that culpable remissness in expelling the
many from the fact of being born of old inhabitants, they lost the advanpious parents, dwelling in praying tages they might otherwise have
families, enjoying a valuable minis- gained over them, and not only so,
try, and being associated with theex- but as appears from  Josh. 19. 47,
cellent of the earth, build a hope that (where see note) a part of their terriall will be well with them, though tories had actually been wrested out
they are heedless of cultivating the of their hands, leaving them so straitgraces of the Spirit, and of laying ened for room, that a portion of the
hold of eternal life. All such fan- tribe was in(luced to migrate to a discied security is but exemplifying the  tant section of the land in quest of




224                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406.
3 When they were by the Louse with me, and hath fhired me,
of Micah, they knew the voice and I am his priest.
of the young man the Levite:   5 And  they  said  unto  him
and they turned in thither, and gAsk  counsel, we pray  thee,
said  unto  him, Who  brought hof God, that we may know
thee hither? and what makest whether our way which we go
thou in this place?  and what shall be prosperous.
hast thou here?                    6 And  the  priest said  unto
4 And  he  said  unto  them, them, iGo in peace: before the
Thus and thus dealeth Micah  LORD is your way wherein ye go.
g 1 Kings 22. 5. Isa. 30. 1. Hos. 4. ]2.
f ch. 17. 10.          h See ch. 17. 5, and ver. 14. i 1 Kings 22. 6.
ampler accommodations. See a brief for drawing out the latent idolatrous
account of this, Josh. 19. 47.     propensities of their own hearts.
2. Men of valor.  Heb.  Irl )   Probably, conscious of having negbene'hayil, sons of valor.-~T They lected at the outset of their expedition
lodged there.  Not in the house, but to consult the Most High and imby it, as is evident from  the next plore his blessing, they determined to
verse.                             avail themselves of the professed
3. Knewtlhe voice of the young man. oracle at hand, and learn from the
Either recognised him in this way as Teraphim what they ought to have
an old acquaintance, or perceived  learned from the Urim. So much
by his dialect, his mode of pronuncia- more prone is man's depraved nature
tion, that although now residing at to idolatrous superstition than to real
mount Ephraim he was yet of a dif- piety.-~T Whether or' wvay which we
ferent stock; for we have already go, &c.  Whether our enterprise
seen that the Ephraimites had a pro- which we have undertaken shall sucnunciation peculiar to themselves. ceed. On this import of the word
ch. 12. 6.-~  What makest thou?'way,' as including not the journey
Rather, what doest thou. —~T What only, but everything pertaining it,
hast thou here?  Hast thou a family see on ch. 4. 9.
with thee, and what are thy means   6. Go in peace. That is, go and
of subsistence?                   prosper.  This being strictly no
5. Ask counsel, Ipray thee, of God. snore than the expression of'a' frzendWe see from this circumstance how  ly wish, did not commit his foresight
deep was the degeneracy of the times. as a prophet. —--  Your way is before
Had these men of Dan possessed the the Lord.  An ambiguous expresspirit of true Israelites, they would sion, capable of being interpreted, achave been indignant to learn that a ri- cording to the event, either in a good
val sanctuary to that of Shiloh had  or bad sense, and thus bearing the
been set up, and that a renegade Le- equivocal character of the responses
vite had sacrilegiously assumed the of all the ancient heathen oracles.
functions of the sacred office. But Its prevailing sense in the Scriptures
the circumstance, instead of giving is undoubtedly that of approbatzon
rise to censure or remonstrance, seems on the part of God, and so in the
rather to have ministered occasion present case he intended it should be




B. C. 1406.]            CHAPTER  XVIII.                           225
7 IT Then the five men depart- quiet and secure; and there was
ed, and came to k Laish, and saw  no magistrate in the land, that
the people  that were therein, might put them to shame in any
Ihow they dwelt careless, after thing; and they were far from
the manner of the Zidonians, the Zidonians, and had no busik Josh. 19. 47, called Leshem. 1 ver. 27-8. ness with any man.
understood. Yet it has not exclusive- voted nations of Canaan, they proly this import. When rigidly weigh- bably gave themselves but little coned it amounts only to the general cern about the wars and conquests
truth elsewhere affirmed, that' The that were going on around them.  In
ways of man are before the eyes of the this respect the people of Laish reLord, and he pondereth all his go- sernbled them. Conscious of no ill
ings.' Ift therefore, the event should design themselves, and free from the
be propitious, he would of course gain apprehension of being molested by
the credit of a true prophet, whereas others, they dwelt at ease in their rich
if it were adverse, he would at once and fertile valley, v. 28, their gates
take shelter under the ambiguity of left open, and their walls neglected.
the expression. While we recognise But the grasping cupidity of man
the subtlety of Satan in this reply, leaves nothing secure on earth, and
we may still gather from the incident the peaceful abodes of rural life are
the importance of bespeaking the di- often visited by calamities that popuvine direction and blessing at the lous cities and the crowded marts of
outset of all our ways. We may go commerce would have moire reason
comfortably and cheerfully forward to dread. ——' No magistrate in the
in them, if they are only such as he land, &c.  Heb.'37'1211 3TIN dtn
approves. His smile is success, his yorsh  dtzer, no ]heir, or possessor of
frown disaster.                     r'est'raint. It is not absolutely certain
7. Came to Laish. Made sanguine that what is here said of the people
and -confident by the Levite's pre- of Laish is to be understood by way
diction, they set forward on their of reproach, as the original,'heir of
journey and came to Laish, or Le- restraint,' may  simply mean  that
shem, as it is called by Joshua, 19. 47, there was no hereditary government
and afterwards Dan. v. 29. The in- exercised among them, but that they
habitants of this place are supposed  lived under a free republic, and yet
to have been a colony of the Zido- so peaceably and harmoniously that
nians, or Sidonians, at a very con- there was no one disposed to' shame,'
siderable distance Irom  the parent i. e. to injure, to vex, to put indignity
country.-~fDwelt careless, after thte upon his neighbor or fellow citizen.
smanner of the Zidonixans.  The ha- And all this may be stated as mere
bitual security of the Zidonians pro- matter of fact respecting their politibably arose mainly from their posi- cal condition, and perhaps with the
tion and pursuits.  They lived in a design of intimating the cruelty oi
flourishing sea-port town and were the Danites in barbarously invading
chiefly addicted to commerce, and and putting to the sword such an inuot being included in the seven de- offensive community. At the sanme




226                        JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406
8 And they came unto their large land: for God hath given
brethren to mZorah and Eshta- it into your hands; q a place
ol: and their brethren said unto where there is no want of any
them, What say ye?               thing that is in the earth.
9 And they said, nArise, that  11 If And  there went from
we may go up against them: thence of the family of the Danfor we have seen the land, and ites, out of Zorah and out of
behold, it is very good: and are Eshtaol, six hundred men apye ~still? be not slothful to go, pointed with weapons of war.
and to enter to possess the land.   12  And they went up, and
10 When ye go, ye shall come pitched  in r'Kirjath-jearim, in
unto a people Psecure, and to a Judah: wherefore they called
rn ver. 2. n Num. 13. 30. Josh, 2. 23, 24. that place  Mahaneh-dan unto
o l Kings 22. 3. p ver. 7, 27.      q Deut. 8. 9. r Josh. 15. 60. s ch. 13. 25.
time, the evidence in favor of the higher theme. Heaven is a good
common interpretation, which makes land, made sure by promise to all'bethe words to convey a reflection upon lievers, and if we have a heart to
the lawless and dissolute state of travel thither, boldly facing the danthings among them, is perhaps still gers in the way, we shall find every
stronger, and we incline to abide by want supplied for ever. Yet so init. -~Were farfrom the Zidonians. sidious and powerful an enemy is
Consequently far from succor in case sloth to the soul in its journey heaof a sudden attack. - Hcad no bu- venward, thatwe have need to exhort
siness with any man. No treaties of one another daily to arise and be doalliance, no commercial intercourse, ing. No one knows how much comno established connection of any kind. fort he loses here, or how much glory
Depending upon their own resources, hereafter, by sinful negligence.
and feeling little need of foreign lux-   10. Where there is no want of any
uries, they lived in an insulated state thing- that is in the earzth.  Probably
in respect to the rest of the world. the more correct rendering is,'in
The words, of themselves, convey no the land,' i. e. the land of Canaan.
impeachment of their character on No part of the land of promise held
the score of industry or activity, and out greater advantages; none was on
yet taken in connexion with  the any account more eligible. This is
whole passage, they may perhaps the usual sense of the original.
warrant the inference drawn from    11. Of the family of the Danites.
them by most commentators, that the Meaning of the tribe of the Danites;
Laishites were an indolent and idle the aggregate of the families; collect.
people. Still a positive affirmation sing. for plur. as often before. —
cannot be built upon the premises.  ~1 Appointed witth weapons of war.
9. Are ye still? Heb. ~tD'h1V    ma'h- Heb.''11i'haegiti gir'ded.
shim, silent, i. e. inactive. On the   12. Pitched in Kijath-jearim. Not
peculiar use of Heb. terms for' si- in the city itself, but in its immediate
lence,' see on Josh. 10. 12. The spi- vicinity, as is clear from  the final
rit of this report may be applied to a clause.  See on Josh. 10. 10. —



BC.  1406.]           CHAPTER  XVIII.                          227
this day: behold, it is behind  unto the house of Micah, and
Kirjath-jearim.                   saluted him.
13 And  they  passed thence   16 And the Ysix hundred men
unto mount Ephraim, and came appointed with their weapons
unto'the house of Micah.         of war, which were of the child14  T u Then answered the five ren of Dan, stood by the entermen that went to spy out the ing of the gate.
country of Laish, and said unto   17 And  zthe five  men that
their  brethren, Do  ye know  went to spy out the land went
that xthere is in these houses up, and came in thither, and
an ephod, and teraphim; and a took a the graven image, and the
graven  image, and  a  molten  ephod, and the teraphim, and
image? now therefore consider the  molten  image: and the
what ye have to do.               priest stood in the entering of
15 And they turned  thither- the gate with the six hundred
ward, and came to the house of men that were appointed with
the young man the Levite, even weapons of war.
t ver. 2. u 1 Sam. 14. 28. x ch. 17. 5.  y ver. 11. z ver. 2. 14. a ch. 17.4, 5.
~a MahaneA-dan. That is,' the camp priest and his oracle, of the truth of
of Dan,' so called from the circum- whose responses we have had expestance of this expedition encamping rience, will not be a valuable acquithere. By comparing ch. 13. 25, it sition to us in our new settlement.
appears quite obvious that this trans- Their subsequent actions are the best
action occurred previous to the days commentary on these words.
of Samson.-~- Behind Kirjath-jea-   15. And saluted him. Heb. I~RVI
imra. Westward of Kirjath-jearim;        1"2~ q yishalts lo lishtlom, asked
for as the face is always supposed to him of peace; i. e. inquired respectbe turned to the east when the sacred ing his welfare, which is usually exwriters speak of the points of the pressed by the term peace. See Gen.
compass, the west of course falls be- 43. 27; Ex. 18. 7.
hind one. Thus Deqlt. 11. 24, the   17. The Jive men-came in thither.
Mediterranean, or western sea, is Entered into what might be called
called the  Aindermost sea (WN'l  the sanctuary, the chapel, of Micah's')1I1qt}hayom haa'har'on,) as the east, house. From its being said that they
on the other hand, is designated by a' went up' (ObV yaalu,) for this purterm  (:Tj kedem) which has the pose, Rosenmaller conjectures that
sense of before or anterior.      it was an upper apartment, and ad14. T/hen answered. Then spake. duces Dan. 6. 10, in confirmation.-.
An idiom both of the Hebrew and ~f The priest stood in the entering of
the Greek, by which this word is the gate. Where the other party no
used for addressed, accosted. See 1I doubt detained and held him in talk,
Kings 1. 28; Ezra 10. 2; Is. 14. 10. while their comrades effected the
----  Consider what ye have to do. abduction of the gods with all their
Consider what ye shall do; it is'a appurtenances.' See what little care
point worth deliberating whether this this sorry priest took of his gods;




228                         JUDGES                    [B. C. 1406.
18 And these went into Mi-  20 And the priest's heart was
cah's house, and fetched the glad, and he took the ephod, and
carved image, the ephod, and the  teraphim, and the graven
the teraphim, and the molten image, and went in the midst of
image.   Then  said the priest the people.
unto them, What do ye?            21 So they turned and depart19 And they said unto him, ed, and put the little ones, and
Hold thy peace, blay thine hand the cattle, and the carriage beupon thy mouth, and go with fore them.
us, c and be to us a father and a  22 IT And when they were a
priest: is it better for thee to be good way from  the house of
a priest unto the house of one Micah, the men that were in the
man, or that thou be a priest houses nearer to Micah's house
unto a tribe and  a family in were  gathered  together, and
Israel?                          overtook the children of Dan.
b Job 21. 5, and 29. 9, and 40. 4. Prov. 30. 23 And they cried unto the
32, Mic. 7. 16. c ch. 17. 10.     children  of Dan.   And they
while he was sauntering at the gate,' of covetousness and ambition.  But
his treasure (such as it was) was who can be surprised to find him
gone.  See  how  impotent these false and treacherous to men who
wretched gods were, that could not has been convicted of the grossest
keep themselves from being stolen.' perfidy towards God 7-~f Went in
Henry. The whole scene, including the midst of the people.  Or, Heb.
the conduct of all parties, is a singu-' went into the midst of the people.'
lar mixture of the impious and the Took his place in the centre of the
ludicrous.                        company, both to secure him from
18. These went into Micac.'s house. the pursuit of Micah, and in imitaThe five men mentioned above went tion of the order of Israel's march
in, while the six hundred armed through the wilderness, in which
men stood at the gate.            the ark and the priests moved in the
19' Lay thy hand upon thy mouth. middle of the host.
A  well known token of silence   21. The carriaoge before theem. Heb.
among all nations. Comp. Job 21.5; i'11'1  kebudah, the weight, i. e. the
Prov. 30. 32.                     luggage or baggage, the various
19. That thou be a priest unto a moveables which a body of emitribe and afamily in Israel. That is, grants would naturally carry with
t: lo a tribe, even a collection of fami- them. No allusion whatever is had
lies.' From the narrated facts of the to wheel-ca'rr'iages, as these vehicles,
case it is evident that a whole tribe even to this day, are entirely uncould not have been intended.     known as a means of travelling in
20.'The priest's heart was glad. that country.   The arrangement
Swayed wholly by self-interest and here mentioned was a precautionary
unmindful of the claims of gratitude measure designed to guard against
and of truth, he forsakes his former the consequences of an attack on the
employer merely from the motives part of Micah, which, should he see




B. C. 1406.]         CHAPTER  XVJII.                          229
turned their faces, and said unto said unto him, Let not thy voice
Micah, What aileth thee, that be heard among us, lest angry
thou comest with such a corn- fellows run upon thee, and thou
pany?                           lose thy life, with the lives of
24 And he said, Ye have taken thy household.
away my gods which I made,  26 And the children of Dan
and the priest, and ye axe gone went their way: and when Miaway: and what have I more? cah saw  that they were  too
and whatis this that ye say unto strong for him, he turned and
me, What aileth thee?           went back unto his house.
25 And the children of Dan
fit to make one, would naturally be Christians are shamed by such an
upon the rear.                   instance of deep but guilty devotion ~.
23. What aileth thee, that thou How lightly do they bear the loss or
comest with such a company?  Heb. the absence of the most precious spiml2it: En l d lihmah leka ki nizokt&, ritual privileges compared with that
what to thee, that thou art gathered of their worldly possessions. It is
together?  An individual of course when they are bereft of these, and not
could not be said to be' gathered to- of the light of God's countenance and
gether;' but the Heb. idiomby which the hidden joys of the Spirit, that
the leader or head of a multitude is they exclaim, What have I more X
put for the multitude itself, is of very    25. Lest angry fellows.  Heb.
frequent occurrence. See Note on OUM2''  ~'3l  aneshim mirei neGen. 14. 15.                     phesh, men bitter of spirit. The gen24. Ye have taken away my gods, uine language of lawless banditti,
which I made, &c. That is, the whole who answer the plea of right, with
apparatus of my images, teraphim, no other argument than the exhibi&c., made as represe~ntatives of di- tion of superior might.  By this we
vine things, and symbols of the di- are reminded, (1) That they who
vine presence. -With all his gross dare to commit theft will be easily
superstition, it is not conceivable that induced, if needful to secure their
a native Israelite should have be- ill-gotten spoil, to commit murder
come at this time so besotted by his also. (2) That where power is with
idolatrous propensities as to suppose unprincipled oppressors, to complain
that the fabrication of his own hands of injustice is often only to provoke
was really the great Jehovah that farther injury.
made heaven and earth.-IT What   26. He turned and went back unto
have I more?  What have you left his house. It is to be hoped, a wiser
me worth having compared with the and better man; having now had eximage and the priest of which you perimental proof of the vanity of the
have so perfidiously deprived me? idols with which he is compelled to
Such ardent, but infatuated and part. But whatever the event may
wicked zeal could Micah evince in have taught him, it is pregnant with
respect to the objects of his id.olatry. instruction to tus. In the straits to
How many that bear the name of which Micah was driven, we perceive
20




230                         JUDGES.                   [13B. C. 1406,
27 And they took the things because itewas f far from Zidon,
which Micah had made, and the and they had no business with
priest which he had, and d came any man; and it was in the valunto Laish, unto a people that ley that lieth gby Beth-rehob.
were at quiet and secure: e and And they built a city, and dwelt
they smote them with the edge  therein.
of the sword, and burnt the city   29 And h they called the name
with fire.                        of the city i Dan, after the name
28 And there was no deliverer,   f ver. 7. g Num. 13. 21. 2 Sam. 10. 6.
h Josh. 19. 47.  iGen. 14.14.  ch. 20. 1.  1
d ver. 7, 10. Deut. 33. 22. e Josh. 19. 47. Kings 1i. 29, 30, and 15. 20.
a striking illustration of the issue of have gone down to darkness,'leanthe fatal delusions of ungodly men. ing on a lie.' They have walkedin
Their false confidences will be abol- the light of the sparks which they
ished, their refuges of lies all swept themselves have kindled, and as a
away. The religion in which they recompense in the same, they lie
now so sanguinely trust will be prov- down in sorrow.  Let us away then
ed a baseless fabric. No foundation with all systems of man's device in
will then stand but that which God the great matter of salvation. Let
himself has laid, nor will any super- us at once and cordially embrace the
structure endure but that which is whole true gospel of the grace of
able to abide a fiery ordeal.  The God, and we have a portion of which
law which they were disposed to re- we can never be robbed. Who can
duce to their own standard will then spoil us of our God?  or what can
be found to be immutable, and the we want if we have him  for our
religion of the Bible, which in its friend?
true sense they have rejected, the only   27. Came unto Laish, unto a peomeans of a sinner's acceptance with ple, &c.  Rather, came upon,Laish,
God.  Their forced interpretations (>Y. al, not }[ el.) upon a people; i. e.
of the sacred text, and their self- in a hostile manner, making a fierce
complacent schemes of salvation will attack upon them.-  ff Burnt the
avail them nothing. As a necessary city with fi'e. That is, probably, a
consequence, their destitution and part of it, not the whole; as the
misery will then be complete.'Ye phrase clearly implies elsewhere.
have taken away my gods, and what See on Josh. 8. 8.  This measure
have I left I' may then be considered was doubtless adopted to strike a
as the bitter lamentation of every de- greater terror into the inhabitants,
luded soul. In vain now is the ready and to make their conquest more seplea,'I thought I was right.' Why cure.
did they rest in vain conjectures?   28. And they built a city.  Heb.
Why did they presume to substitute ~)  tr'17'e1 vayibnu eth hdir, and
a system of their own in place of that they built the city; i. e. rebuilt it; or
which God had revealed?  Why at least so much of it as was destroywould they not submit to be saved in ed by the fire.
God's own way?  Alas! it is now    29. Called the name of the city Dan.
too late to rectify their error.  They  To be a witness for them that they




B. C. 1406.1          CHAPTER  XVIII.                           231
of Dan their father, who was  30`T And the children of Dan
born unto Israel: howbeit the set up the graven image: and
name of the city was Laish at Jonathan, the son of Gershom,
the first.                        the son of Manasseh, he and his
were Danites by birth, though re- many expositors that instead of Mamoved to so great a distance from  nasseh, (tn7S4) the true reading is
their brethren. As this fact might Moses, (zll=;) which differs, it iwill
possibly in after times he called in be perceived, only by a single letter;
question, they would make the very and this letter (n), it is supposed the
name of their place a ground on Jews have interpolated in order to
which to establish their claim to re- save the credit of their great lawlationship.' We should be con- giver and prophet.  The singular
cerned not to lose the privilege of name of Gershom, the name of one
our relation to God's Israel, and of Moses' sons, and the date of the
therefore should take all occasions to transaction, concur, it is said, in esown it, and preserve the remem- tablishing this view. Accordingly the
brance of it to ours after us.' Henry. Vulgate and some copies of the SepThis city became afterwards very tuagint actually exhibit the name of
remarkable as one of the extremities'Moses,' instead of'Manasseh.' The
of the promised land.  The extent interpolation, however, has been very
of the Israelitish territory from its timidly executed.  The letter ~ was
northern to its southern border was originally placed above the line of
generally expressed by the phrase, the other letters (as it now appears'From Dan to Beersheba.'          in the printed Hebrew Bibles,) as if
30. T'he children of Dan set up the rather to suggest, than to make an
graven image.  Thus was idolatry alteration; but in process of timethe
first publicly established in Israel. It letter sunk down into the body of the
began in the tribe and city of Dan, word. The Hebrew  writers themfrom which it gradually spread like selves admit this; and say that the
an evil contagion, and thoubh check- intention was to veil this disgrace in
ed from time to time by pious rulers, the house of Moses, by suggesting a
yet it eventually infected nearly the figcurative descent of Jonathan from
whole nation. As a mark of the di- Manasseh, the idolatrous king of Juvine indignation towards the prime dah who lived about eight hut/tndred
agents of this wickedness, Lightfoot years afterwards!  Bp. Patrick and
suggests thatin the mystical sealing others are disposed to rank  this
of the tribes mentidned Rev. 7, that among the idle conceits of the Jewof Dan is entirely omitted. It may ish critics, but for ourselves, without
also be supposed that having had the positively adopting the opinion, we
precedent now set, Jeroboaln was en- think it by no means improbable.
couraged afterwards to establish the The most excellent characters are
idolatrous worship of one of his often but badly represented by their
golden calves at this very place -    descendants.  Children are not al~TJonathan, the sorn of Gershonr, the son ways the crown of old men, any more
of Manassel&.  It is conjectured by than fathers are always the glory of




232                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406.
sons were priests to the tribe of took to him a concubine out of
Dan kuntil the day of the cap- bBet;h-lehen-judah.
tivity of the land.                 2 And  his concubine played
31 And they set them  up Mi- the whore against him, and went
cah's graven  image which he away from him unto her father's
made,'all the time that the house to Beth-lehem-judah, and
house of God was in Shiloh.    was there four whole months.
3 And her husband arose, and
CHAPTER  XIX.               went after her, to speak firiendly
ND it came to pass in those unto her, and to bring her again,
days, "when there was no having  his servant with  him,
king in Israel, that there was a and a couple of asses: and she
certain Levite sojourning on the brought him  into her father's
side of mount Ephraim, who  house: and when the father of
k ch. 13. 1.   Sam. 4.2  10 1. Ps.7  the damsel saw him, he rejoiced
60, 61. 1 Josh. 18, 1. ch. 19. 18. and 21.12. to meet him.
a dh. 17. 6, and 18., and 21. 25.              b ch.17. 7.
their children. The point, however, reach of those  influences which
is one of little importance. —--   Un- would otherwise have gone to extiro
til the day of the captivity of the land. pate the abominations which it cherProbably the captivity of the ten tribes ished.
by Shalmaneser king of Assyria. If
so, this passage is to be considered as    CHAPTER XIX.
an addition made by a later hand,   1. And it came to pass, &c. The
of which there are numerous ac- tragical tale that follows seems to be
knowledged instances in the books of inserted here in order to afford a
the Old Testament.                 melancholy illustration of the disor31. All the time that the house of ders which sprung from the lack of
God was in Siloh. Not that its con- due restraint. In the absence of an
tinuance there was limited to the pe- efficient magistracy, confusion and
riod now specified, as this would be every evil work prevailed. —~ Took
inconsistent with what is affirmed in to him  a concubine.  Heb. IM'eR
the preceding verse; but it seems to:t~'n ishfih piltgesh, a woman,'a
be stated as a remarkable and dis- concubine, or a wife, a concubine; or,
creditable fact, that even during all as Geddes renders it, a concubinethe time that the true tabernacle and wife; i. e. a lawful but a secondary
altar were standing at Shiloh, and wife; as in v. 3, he is expressly callnotwithstanding the reforming ef- ed her c husband,' and v. 4 her father
forts of all the Judges, yet here was a his father-in-law. Such connexions
rival establishment of an idolatrous were not disreputable in those times,
character subsisting in the face of being tolerated in the law and counall the injunctions made against it! tenanced by the practice of the best
Probably the remote situation of Dan, of men. It is a great mistake toconon the extreme borders of the conn- ceive of a concubine as a harlot.
try, put it in a measure out of the   3. To speak friendly unto her. Hen




B. C. 1406.]           CHAPTER  XIX                              233
4 And  his father-in-law, the had said unto the man, Be condamsel's father, retained him; tent, I pray thee, and tarry all
and he abode with him  three night, and  let thine  heart be
days: so they did eat and drink, merry.
and lodged there.                   7 And when the man rose up
5 IT And it came to pass on the to  depart,  his  father-in-law
fourth day, when they arose early urged him: therefore he lodged
in the morning, that he rose up there again.
to depart: and the damsel's fa-  8 And he arose early in the
ther said unto  his son-in-law, morning on the fifth day to decComfort thy heart with a mor- part: and the damsel's father
sel of. bread, and afterward go said, Comfort thy heart, I pray
your way.                          thee.   And they tarried until
6 And they sat down, and did afternoon, and they did eat both
eat and drink both of them  to- of them.
gether: for the damsel's father  9 And when the man rose up
c Gen. 18. 5.         to depart, he, and his concubine,
Oto af'Y   ledabbhr al libbsh, to  forced compliance with sr'gent solicispeak to her heart; that is, to concili- tations, and the issue of the affair
ate her affection, to rekindle her ten- teaches, us very impressively the
derness, and to entreat her to return danger, as well as the weakness of
to the home she had left cheerless. suffering ourselves to be overcome by
Comp. Gen. 34. 3; 50. 21; Ruth 2. pressing importunity against the con13. The phrase is commonly applied victions of our better judgment. The
to speaking comfortably to one that is hospitable entertainment and agreein distress or sorrow, and may per- able society of friends is indeed a
haps here imply that the woman was strong inducement to protract a visit,
penitent and grieved for her offences. but no man should forget that he has
I- Rejoiced to meet him. Hoping calls at home of paramount claim,
that now a complete reconciliation and that there is a limit beyond
would be effected between his daugh- which complaisance is at war with
ter and her husband.               duty and where we should turn a
4. And lodged there. That is, the deaf ear to the most urgent requests.
Levite and his servant. It would The warm-hearted and friendly enscarcely be said of the father-in-law  tertainer, too, should remember that
that he lodged in his own house.   his intended kindness when too far
5. Comfo'rt thine heart with a mor- urged may prove a real injury to its
set of bread. Heb. T)5'I7 seod lib- objects, and should therefore modebekl, streagthen thiine heart; i. e. re- rate its promptings by reason and refresh thy spirits.                 ligion. It is altogether probable that
8. Tihey tarr'eied until afternoon. the fearful calamity which overtook
Heb.'tlri ta1='7Y ad netoth hayom, this unfortunate couple would have
till the day declined. The original been avoided had they been less
for' tarried' (1' t2'r17  hAithmahe-.urged, or, when urged, had they acted
Kmlzu,) implies a reluctant delay, a with more decision.
20*




234                         JUDGES                    [B. C. 1406.
and his servant, his father-in- us turn in into this city "of the
law, the damsel's father, said Jebusites, and lodge in it.
unto him, Behold, now the day   12 And his master said unto
draweth toward evening, I pray  him, We will not turn aside
you tarry all night: behold, the hither into the city of a stranger,
day groweth to an end, lodge that is not of the children of Ishere, that thine heart may be rael;  we will pass over fto
merry; and to-morrow  get you  Gibeah.
early on your way, that thou   13 And he said unto his sermayest go home.                   vant, Come, and let us draw
10 But the man  would  not near to one of these places to
tarry that night, but he rose up lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in
and departed, and  came over g Ramah.
against d Jebus, which is Jeru-   14 And  they  passed on and
salem: and there were with him  went their way; and the sun
two asses saddled, his concubine went down upon them   when
also was with him.                they were by G ibeah, which beI1.dnd when they were by Je- longeth to Benjamin.
bus, the day was far spent; and   15 And they turned aside thithe servant said unto his mas- ther, to go in and to lodge in
ter, Come, I pray thee, and let  e Josh. 15. 8. 63. ch. 1. 21. 2 Sam. 5. 6.
d Josh. 18. 28.        f Josh. 18. 28. g Josh. 18. 25.
9. The day draweth towards even- sites, who were not fully dispossessing. Heb.  ",i'I Z   r'aphah hayon,  ed till the days of David. The event,
the day is weak, is become relaxed, re- however, showed  that he  could
mitteth itself.  The phrase points to scarcely have fared worse among the
a time of day the opposite of wliat is most barbarous hordes of Canaanites
termed, Gen. 29. 7,'high day,' i. e. than he did among his own brethren.
the hour when the heat of the day  In all probability he would have done
has attained its utmost intensity, better to have followed his servant's
when it has reached the meridian. advice.
-~T The day groweth to an end.   13. In Gibeah or in Ramah. These
Heb. t:1'is1  lr1'hanotAh hayom, it is places were both north, or rather
the pitching time of day; i. e. it is north-west from Jerusalem, and disnear the time when travellers ordi- tant, the former about four miles, the
narily pitch their tents and take up latter about six.
their lodgings for the night.-    15. No man that took them into his
~ Mayest go home. Heb.       M N1TW 5 house to lodging.  Heb.  NlD']'N
leoha lekae, to thy tent.         btDt  n, ish meassphA, no man gabth12. Into the city of a stranTer. erzng. On the expressive import of
That is, of a strange and foreign this phrase see on Josh. 6. 9. It seems
people; for though the city of Jerusa- that up to this time no caravansaries
lem had been before taken by Caleb, or inns, in which travellers now ohch. 1. 8, yet the strong-hold of Zion tain lodgings in the East, existed.
was still in the hands of the Jebu- At least we have met with no certains




B. C. 1406.]            CHAPTER  XIX.                          235
Gibeah: and when he went in, and the old man said, Whither
he sat him down in a street of goest thou? and whence comes4
the city: for there was no man thou?
that h took them  into his house   18 And he said unto him, We
to lodging.                       are passing from  Beth-lehem16 ~ And behold, there came judah toward the side of mount
an old man from'his work out Ephraim; from  thence am  I:
of the field at even, which was and I went to Beth-lehem-judah,
also of mount Ephraim; and he but I am  now  going to kthe
sojourned in Gibeah; but the house of the LoRD; and there
men of the place were Benja- is no man that receiveth me to
mites.                            house.
17 And when he had lifted up   19 Yet there is both straw and
his eyes, he saw  a wayfaring provender for our asses; and
man in the street of the city:   k Josh. 18. 1. ch. 18. 31, and 20. 18. 1
hMatt. 25. 43. Heb. 13. 2. i Ps. 104. 234. a. 3, 7.
traces of the existence of such ac- laborer whom this evening brought
commodations. Strangers, therefore, home from the field, and as the virrelied entirely on private hospitality tues usually go together,'he,' as
for entertainment in the places to Henry remarks,' who was honestly
which they came, as is still the case diligent in his business all day, was
in many parts of the East. Under disposed to be generously hospitable
these circumstances such an inhospi- to these poor strangers at night.'table reception as that which the ~ W7ic/h was also of mount Eph/raim.
Levite now experienced is of very' Gibeah was a second Sodom; even
rare occurrence, and can only be ex- there also is another Lot; which is
plained on the ground of the pre-emi- therefore so much more hospitable to
nently vile and abandoned character strangers, because himself was a
of the citizens of Gibeah. The gen- stranger. The host, as well as the
eral courteousness of the Orientals in Levite, is of mount Ephraim; each
this respect is well set forth in the man knows best to commiserate that
language of Job, 31. 32;' The stran- evil in others which himself hath
ger did not lodge in the street; but I passed through. All that profess the
opened my doors to the traveller.'   name of Christ are countrymen and
16. There came an old man from his yet strangers here below.  How
work out of the field at even. Had all cheerfully should we entertain each
the inhabitants of Gibeah been of the other, when we meet in the Gibeah
stamp of this good old Israelite, in of this inhospitable world!' Bp. Hall.
whom we see such a pleasing speci-   18. No man that receiveth/ me to
men of patriarchal times, as he re- house.  Heb. V' N t[tq  meassiph
turns at evening from his daily toil, othi, that gathereth me; the same
so gross and horrid a deed of wick- phrase as that above, v. 115.
edness would not have disgraced   19. Both, straw and provender, &c.
their city. But it may well be doubt- Intimating that it was not necessary
ed whether he were not the only I for him to tax the hospitality of any




236                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406.
there is bread and wine also for 20 And the old man said,
me, and for thy handmaid, and'Peace be with thee; howsoevfor the young man which is with  er, let all thy wants lie upon
thy servants: there is no want me; monly lodge not in the
of any thing..  street.
Gen. 43. 23. ch. 6. 23. m Gen. 19. 2.
one except for lodging.  He had nied by a mule, exclusively laden
abundance of provision of his own, with his bedding, provisions, and
both for himself and his asses. In cooking vessels.  It is within the
entering upon a journey, the Orien- writer's own experience, that in a
tals lay in a supply of food for the journey of more than a fortnight
beasts with which they travel as well through a comparatively well-peoas for themselves. This food is of pled part of Western Asia, it was
different kinds. They make little not possible more than twice (in two
or no. hay in these countries, and are great towns) to obtain other food than
therefore very careful of their straw, bread and fruit, and often this not
which they cut into small bits, with without much difficulty, and somean instrument which at the same times not at all.' Pict. Bible.
time threshes out the corn (grain);   20, Let all thy wants lie upon me.
this chopped straw, with barley, This is not inconsistent with the
beans, and balls made of bran and Levite's assertion in the preceding
barley meal, or of the pounded ker- verse, that there was'no want of any
nels of dates, is what they feed them  thing.'  The original signifies dowith.'People (in the East) still feet, lack, and the Levite said, tha,
carry provisions with them  in a although he was supplied with every
journey, even through  a peopled thing else, yet he did lack a lodging
country. No one calculates on ob- place.  His kind entertainer here
taining, unless in very great towns, tells him to dismiss all care, for he
more than  house-room, with the would take it upon him to see that
chance of being able to buy bread his deficiency in this and every other
and fruit. It is not certain that even respect should be supplied, q. d.
bread can be procured, and not to Keep your bread and wine, your
leave the matter entirely to chance, straw and provender for your own
the traveller usually takes from one and your asses' use; you may need
great town to another, so much bread them before you finish your journey;
as will serve him intermediately. If I will provide for all your wants
he desires better fare than he is like- this night; therefore do not think of
ly thus to obtain, he takes with him  lodging in the street.' This was gencooking utensils, rice, vegetables, erosity worthy of an Israelite.- -
preserved meat, butter, &c., and at I~Lodgenot in the street. Unless they
the resting place for the day has a had bedding, which travellers often
warm meal prepared by a servant or carry with them, this would not have
himself, from  his own stores and been convenient; and it would be
with his own utensils.  We have thought disgraceful to the character
known a single traveller accompa- of a town, to allow a stranger, accorm



B. C. 1406.]          CHAPTER  XIX.                          237
21 nSo he brought him  into of the house, went out unto
his house, and gave provender i them, and said unto them, Nay,
unto the asses:  andthey wash- my brethren, nay, I pray you,
ed their feet, and did eat and do not so wickedly; seeing that
drink.                           this  man is come into mine
22 IT Now as they were mak- house, tdo not this folly.
ing their hearts merry, behold,  24 UBehold, here is my daughPthe men of the city, certain ter, a maiden, and his concuqsons of Belial, beset the house bine; them  I will bring out
round  about, and beat at the now, and xhumble ye them, and
door, and spake to the master do with them  what seemeth
of the house, the old man, say- good unto you: but unto this
ing, r Bring forth the man that man do not so vile a thing.
came into thine house, that we   25 But the men would  not
may know him.                    hearken to him: so the man
23 And'the man, the master took his concubine, and brought
her forth unto them; and they
n Gen. 24. 32, and 43. 24. o len. 18. 4. Y knew her, and abused her all
John 13. 5. p Gen. 19. 4. ch. 20. 5. Hos.
9. 9, and 10. 9. q Deut. 13. 13. r Gen. 19. 5.  t 2 Sam. 13. 12. t Gen. 19. 8. x Gen. 34.
Rom. 1. 26, 27. a Gen. 19. 6, 7.  2. Deut. 21. 14. y Gen. 4.1.
panied by his wife, to do so even lial.  Vile, abandoned, profligate,
then. But in other respects, lodging fellows; men lost to all sense of
in the streets of a town, is a less sin- right, honor, and decency. See Note
gular circumstance in the East than on Dent. 13. 13.- ~Beat at the door'.
it would seem  to us in England. Rendered'beat,' in order to imply' When the Bedouin Arabs visit a something more than simply knock
town, they usually prefer sleeping ing. The original has the import of
at night in the street to sleeping in a an earnest, eager, violent, assault of
house. So also, when a person walks the door. —IBri/ng foirth the man,
through the streets of Malta in the &c. This demand, and indeed the
nights o f summer, he finds the foot- whole of the incidents here mentionpavements obstructed by beds, occu- ed,-have a striking resemblance to
pied by married couples and single the affair of Lot and the Sodomites.
people. These belong to shop-keep- Under the ambiguous term' know,'
ers and others, who rent the ground- these sons of Belial in each instance,
floors, and having no right to take convey a sense in the last degree
their beds to the roof, bring them out abominable and brutal, and in each
into the street to enjoy the luxury of instance the father makes a proposal
sleeping in the cool open air.' Pict. which the extremest case could not
Bible.                           justify.
22. Making their hearts merry.   25. The man took his concubine, and
Refreshing themselves with the pro- brought her forth.  The conduct of
visions set before them.  It does not the Levite in this transaction is.utternecessarily convey the idea of ban- ly inexplicable. His going after her
queting and revelry. —~Sons of Be- to her father's house would indicate




238                        JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1406
the night until the morning:  27 And her lord rose up in the
and when  the day began to morning, and opened the doors
spring, they let her go.          of the houske and went out to
26 Then came the woman in go his way: and behold, the
the dawning of the day, and fell woman his concubine was fallen
down at the door of the man's down at the door of the house,
house where her lord was, till it and her hands were upon the
was light.                        threshold.
that he still cherished towards her a surprise, of grief, of pain, to find her
real affection, and he appears thus sleeping in suqch a place and in such
far along the journey to have treated a posture i Would he not anxiously
her with every kindness. Yet now  and tenderly have awakened her, and
in the hour of danger, apparently to inquired of her welfare! The man's
save his own life, he determines to conduct throughout is a riddle, which
sacrifice her. He suffered her to be we know not how to solve.  One
brought out and exposed to these thing however is certain. When the
fiends in human shape, while he, it attack was made on the house, the
would seem, secure from harm, either duty of the inmates was to have
sits down or lies down in calm in- thrown themselves upon the protecdifference to her fate. We infer this tion of Providence without yielding
from its not being intimated that he an iota to the demands of the remorsemade the least inquiry respecting her less ruffians without.  If they could
during the night, but'rose up'-  not have withstood their violence,
(could it be from his bed!)-' in the but must have been overpowered by
morning, and opened the doors of superior numbers, they had better
the house, and went out to go his have died calling upon God for
way,' as if he did not once think what mercy than to have basely jeoparded
had become of his unhappy compa- the lives of feeble women to appease
nion,but designed to set forward alone! a ferocious rabble. That would have
It would seem that it was only by been the pious chivalry of true Israelstumbling upon her lifeless corpse at ites. The probability we think is,
the door that he was reminded of that Omnipotence would in some way
there being such a person either liv- have interposed for their rescue.
ing or dead. And even admitting   27. Was fallen down at the door of
that he thought her alive as she lay the house.  While we cannot but be
prostrate on the ground, how unfeel- moved with deep compassion in view
ing, how inhuman his address!' Up, of the hard lot and the miserable end
and let us be going.' Could he thus of this unhappy woman, yet the
rudely accost a tender female, who, righteous judgment of God is not to
for his sake, had submitted through be overlooked in this her closing
the live-long night to the most savage scene. She had sinned, and she now
brutalities, if he possessed the com- suffers. Though her father and her
mon feelings of a man! Suppose he husband had both forgiven her, yet
thought her asleep; yet we ask, God remembered against her her
would he have felt no emotions of fault when she was consigned to the




B. C. 1406.1           CHAPTER  XIX.                           239
28 And he said unto her, Up, her bones, into twelve pieces,
and let us be going.  But znone and sent her into all the coasts
answered.  Then the man took of Israel.
her up upon an ass, and the man   30 And it was so, that all that
rose up, and gat him unto his saw it, said, There was no such
place.                            deed done nor seen fromn the day
29 IT And when he was come that the children of Israel came
into his house, he took a knife, up out of the land of Egypt unto
and laid hold on his concubine, this day: consider of it, btake
and a divided her, together with  advice, and speak your minds.
z ch. 20.5. a ch. 20. 6. See  lSam. 11. 7.  b ch. 20. 7. Prov. 13. 10.
hands of these ruthless monsters. dealt with in the same manner, to
We may hope, however, though it be avenge the horrible outrage. The
almost hoping against hope, that her i whole nation accordingly instantly
soul was touched with penitence at understood it as a universal anathethe eleventh hour, and that when she ma, and entered into an indissoluble
fell with outstretched arms upon the covenant, to see justice done to the
threshold, it was with a fervent sup- injured Levite. This appears from
plication for the divine forgiveness. the fact of the tribes actually taking
But the justice of God in this melan- up arms, as they did-from  their
choly event does by no means exten- swearing before the ark not to return
uate the enormous wickedness of the to their tents or into their houses, till
men of Gibeah in executing it, than they had punished the offenders, ch.
which nothing could be more barba- 20. 8, 9-from  their putting to the
rous and inhuman.                 sword all that remained in Gibeah,
29. Divided her-into twelve pieces, both man and beast, and burning all
and sent her, &c. It is to be pre- the cities and towns of Benjamin, ch.
sumed that with the pieces he sent to 20. 48-from their swearing with an
each tribe a circumstantial account imprecation not to give their daughof the barbarity of the men of Gibeah, ters in marriage to the sons of Benwhich had deprived him of his wife. jamin, and cursing him who should
To our ideas there is something doso, ch. 21. 1-18-and finally, from
peculiarly shocking in the procedure, their engaging themselves by a terbut it was doubtless in accordance rible oath to kill every Israelite who
with the notions of the times, and as should not take arms against the Benthere was no supreme magistrate to jamites, ch. 21. 5. These are all
whom  to appeal for redress, it was marks of a solemn act of anathema,
probably the most effectual method and in no other light can the transacof rousing the nation to take up the tion be rightly viewed. See' ScripLevite's cause as one that concerned ture Illustrations,' p. 146.
them all. It was a measure, in fact,  30. There was no such deed done nor
that seems to have been considered as seen, &c. Its enormity was unparalputting the twelve tribes under an leled, and they were struck dumb
anathema, and solemnly binding l and confounded, as it were, at the
them, on pain of being themselves bare mention of it. It seems accord



240                          JUIDGES.                   [B. C. 1406.
CHAPTER  XX.                land of Gilead, unto the LORD
HEN  "all the children of c in Mizpeh.
israel went out, and the   2 And the chief of all the peocongregation was gathered to- ple, even of all the tribes of Isgether as one man, firom  bDan rael, presented themselves  in
even  to Beer-sheba, with the  the assembly of the people of
a Deut, 13. 12. Josh. 22. 12. ch. 21. 5.
1 Sam. ]1. 7. b ch. 18. 29. 1 Sam. 3. 20. 2   C Judg. 10. 17, and 11. 11. 1 Sam. 7. 5,
Sam. 3. 10, and 24. 2.             and 10. 17.
inglyto have passed into a proverb,' unto  or before the Lord,' may' They have deeply corrupted them- signify simply meeting in the name
selves as in the days of Gibeah,' Hos. of the Lord, to consult him  and
9. 9.- ~ Consider of it, take advice offer up prayers and supplications.
and speak your minds. Heb.'put it But although it is true that God is
to yourselves, take counsel upon it, wherever his people are piously asand speak.' This was the prelude to sembled in his name, yet so uniform
the council held and the measures throughout the Scriptures is the sense
adopted, which are recited in the fol- of the phrase given above, that we are
lowing chapter.                     averse to departing from it in this instance. By comparing v. 18, it would
CHAPTER  XX.               appear that they did not immediately
1. From  Dan even to Beersheba, resortto the tabernacle, but assembled
with the land of Gilead. From  the first at Mizpeh, and thence went up
utmost borders of the land in every to the house of the Lord either at
direction. By the land of Gilead is Shiloh or Bethel. The expression,
meant the  trans-Jordanic  region, however,'were gathered unto the
where were planted the tribes of Lord,' is warranted by the fact that it
Reuben and Gad and the half tribe  formed a pairt of their plan to consult
of Manasseh. The convention seems the oracle in reference to their present
not to have been summoned together expedition. The Mizpeh here menby any superintending head, but by tioned was a place in the borders of
the consent and agreement, as it Judah and Benjamin, and therefore
were, of one common heart, prompted sometimes spoken of as belonging to
by a holy zeal for the Lord of hosts the one and sometimes to the other,
and the honor of Israel. -ff Uto Josh. 15. 38 and 18. 26. It was but a
the Lord in Mizpeh.  The usual im- short distance from Shiloh.
port of the phrase MIM1 iR el Yeho-   2. The chief of all the people, even
vah, to the Lord, is the same with of all the tribes of Israel.  The origiMM" "=7  liphn6 Yehovak, before the nal exhibits a veryremarkable phraLord, i. e. before the tabernacle, or in seologyv;-' The corners (,iM=l pinthe presence of the ark of the- cove- 7both) of the people, all the tribes of
nant, where God was wont to be in- Israel,' where the' corners' or chiefs
quired of by his people.  But as the of the people are identified with the
ark was now at Shiloh and not at tribes themselves,,instead of being
Mizpeh, it has been  supposed by distinguished from them, as is erromany commentators that the phrase neously. done in our translation by




B. C. 1406.]            CHAPTER XX.                             241
God, four hundred thousand of the woman that was slain,
footmen d that drew sword.         answered and said, e I came into
3 (Now the children of Benja- Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin heard that the children of min, I and my concubine, to
Israel were gone up to Mizpeh). lodge.
Then said the children of Israel,  5 fAnd the  men  of Gibeah
Tell us, how was this wicked- rose against me, and beset the
ness?                             house round about upon me by
4 And the Levite, the husband  night, and thought to have slain
d ch. 8. 10.                  e ch. 19.15. f ch. 19. 22.
the gratuitous insertion of the word consequently act very much out of'of  before'all the tribes.' This is character.
evident from its being immediately   3. The children of Benjamin heard,
said that they were assembled to the &c. But they paid little or no attennumber of four hundred thousand, tion to it. Though they had probably
which certainly cannot be meant of received a formal summons like the
the chiefs alone. See on ch. 10. 18. rest of their brethren, yet they heeded
The leaders of a community, as the it not; they took no steps towards
Scriptures represent government, are healing the breach that had occurred,
merely the executive organs of the and preventing the consequences that
mass of the people, having no inte- ensued; on the contrary, they were
rest or will separate from  theirs. rather hardened and exasperated than
The term' corner' here employed is otherwise by the proceedings of the
a metaphor taken from  the corner- other tribes. —~ Then said the chilstones of a building, which are its dren of Israel, Tell sts, &c.  Heb.
main support. What these corner- 1VZT dabberu, tell yeas, pl., a general
stones are to a material fabric, the challenge to any one, or to all whQo
chiefs of the tribes were to the tribes were acquainted with the facts, to
themselves. Comp. 1 Sam. 14. 38; come forward and testify to them.
Is. 19. 13. —ff In the assembly of the   4. And the Levite.  Heb. 7:'1f
people of God. Heb. jr1 ka'hal, Gr.'1iN hMish hallavi, and the man, the
sKKXrata, the usual word for church, as Levite. He and his servant, and the
if from the object of their meeting old man his host, were undoubtedly
they had convened ecclesiastically, all present, prepared to unite in the
or as a religious assembly. This is same statement. The Levite's narconfirmed by the qualifying adjunct, rationof facts, made' without preface'people of God.' Though the occa- or passion,' is remarkable for its
sion was a very exciting one, and brevity and directness. He speaks
they were in danger of giving way to like a man who felt that he had no
unhallowed passion, yet they did not need to employ oratorical arts to
forget that they came together as work upon the feelings of his hear-'the people of God,' and were bound ers and excite their just indignation.
to demean themselves accordingly. The bare recital of the facts themChristians sometimes lose sight of selves would be sufficient.
this in their public assemblies, and   5. Thought to have slain me.  In
21




242                        JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1406
me: gand my concubine have of an hundred throughout all
they forced, that she is dead.   the tribes of Israel, and a hun6 And hI took my concubine, dred of a thousand, and a thouand cut her in pieces, and sent sand out of ten thousand, to
her throughout all the country fetch victual for the people, that
of the inheritance of Israel: for they may do, when they come
they i have committed lewdness to Gibeah of Benjamin, accord
and folly in Israel.             ing to all the folly that they have
7 Behold, ye are all children wrought in Israel.
of Israel; kgive here your ad-  11 So all the men of Israel
vice and counsel.                were gathered against the city,
8 IT And all the people arose knit together as one man.
as one man, saying, We will not  12 IF' And the tribes of Israel
any of us go to his tent, neither sent men through all the tribe
will we any of us turn into his of Benjamin, saying,What wickhouse:                           edness is this that is done among
9 But now  this shall be the you?
thing which we will do to Gibe-  13 Now  therefore deliver us
ah: we will go up by lot against the men, m the children of Beit;                              lial, which are in Gibeah, that
10 And we will take ten men we may put them to death, and
g ch. 19. 25, 26. h ch. 19. 29. i Josh. 7.  I Deut. 13. 14. Josh. 22. 13, 16. m Deut.
15. k ch. 19. 30.                13. 13. ch. 19. 22.
case I should refuse to accede to would ourselves have acted the same
their vile wishes. —~rForced  b. I.part had we been present.' It is diff'eY innv,, humbled.             ficult to conceive a case of more hard8. We will not any of us go to his ened and aggravated depravity than
tent. We will have satisfaction for this.'Who would not have looked
this wickedness before we return that the hands of Benjamin should
home.                            have been first on Gibeah; and that
10. To fetch victuqal for the people. they should have readily sent the
A tenth part of them were selected heads of the offenders for a second
to provide food and forage for the service after the fragmnents of the
army, which might thus be wholly concubine'  But now instead of punoccupied in punishing the inhabit- ishing the sin, they patronise the acants of Gibeah.                  tors, and will rather die in resisting
13. The children of Benjacmin justice, than live and prosper in furwould not hearken.  Thus in effect thering it' The abetting of evil is
bringing the whole tribe to be par- worse than the commission; this
takers of the guilt of the men of may be on infirmity, but that mustbe
Gibeah.  By thus refusing to cornm- on resolution. Easy punishment is
ply with the just and reasonable re- too much favor to sin; connivance
quisition of their brethren they virtu- is much worse; but the defence of
ally said;' We will stand by them  it, and that unto blood, is intolerable.
in what they have done; nay, we By. Hall.




B. C. 1406.]            CHAPTER  XX.                             243
"put away  evil from   Israel. were seven hundred chosen men
But the children of Benjamin  0left-handed; every one could
would not hearken to the voice sling stones at an hair-breadth,
of their brethren the children  and not nmiss.
of Israel:                          17 And-the men of Israel, be14 But the children of Benja- sides Benjamin, were numbered
min gathered themselves toge- four hundred thousand men that
ther out of the cities unto Gibe- drew sword: all these were men
ah, to go out to battle against of war.
the children of Israel.            S1 IT And the children of Israel
15 And the children of Benja- arose, and P went up to the house
min were numbered at that time of God, and q asked counsel of
out of the cities twenty and six  God, and said, Which  of us
thousand men that drew sword, shall go up first to the battle
beside the inhabitants bf Gibe- against the children of Benjaah, which were numbered seven  rain?  And the LORD said, Juhundred chosen men.                dah shall go up first.
16 Among: all this people there   och. 3. 15. 1 Chron. 12 2. 2. ver. 23,26.
n Deut. 17. 12.        q Num. 27. 21. ch. 1. 1.
16. Left handed.  Ileb.'shut or occasion from Shiloh. And it must
obstructed of the right hand.' See be admitted that there is some force
Note on ch. 3. 15. It is somewhat of in the remark of RosenmUller, that
a curious circumstance, that Benja- the habitation of the ark is elsewhere
nin, which signifies the son of the uniformly called   I Mi r hIn" b=tt
vight hand, should have had so much heaeloahim, and in no other instance,
of a left handed posterity.-~f And  lt t    bUth-lI, as here. Still, as we
not miss. tHeb. M=IT iMt;1 velo ya- can see no sufficient reason for such'hati. Gr. Kat ovK eCtapraovrnavsg, and not a transfer of the tabernacle at this
sin: thus affording a clue to the true time, we abide by the sense given in
import of the word sin, viz. missing our translation, and suppose that the
the mark, erring from one's scope.'house of GQd' at Shiloh is intendThis is well expressed in the New  ed. This place was very near to
Testament by aepaprarw, from a ne- Mizpeh, where they were now asgative, and papoTlo, to hit the mark. sembled, and the enterprise in which
To love, serve, and enjoy God is'our they were now engaged was altobeing's end and aim,' which the sin- gether too important to allow them
ner in his course of transgression, to think of entering upon it without,misses, and too often, alas! to his previously taking counsel of God.
final undoing.                     But the defective manner in which
18. Th e children of Israel arose, this was done will appear very strikand went tup to the house of God. ingly in the sequel —~ Whichl of
Heb. EXns: beth-el, which some ex- its shall go up fir'st, &c. It will be
positors take to be the place so de- observed that they do not ask whethnominated, supposing that the ark er they shall go 1up at all, which unhad been removed thither on this doubtedly ought to have been their




244                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406
19 And the children of Israel and  destroyed  down  to  the
rose up in the morning, and en- ground of the Israelites that day
camped against Gibeah.             twenty and two thousand men.
20 And the men of Israel went  22 And the people, the men
out to battle against Benjamin; ofIsrael, encouragedthemselves,
and the men of Israel put them- and set their battle again in arselves in array to fight against ray in the place where they put
them  at Gibeah.                   themselves in array the first day.
21 And rthe children of Ben-  23 (' And the children of Israel
jamin came forth out of Gibeah, went up and wept before the
r Gen. 49. 27.                     s ver. 26, 27.
first inquiry on an occasion of so their delinquency in sparing the Danmuch importance. But confiding in ites, they had justly incurred defeat
the justness of their cause, they take by their precipitate entrance upon the
it for granted that all is right in re- war, but God in his righteous prosorting to arms against their breth- vidence often makes a lesser sin the
Een, and merely inquire who should occasion of punishing a greater, and
take the lead in the expedition, about yet no iniquity can be laid to his
which it is not unlikely there had charge.  A  decaying tree, which
been some contention in the assem- has withstood the violence of many
bly. For wisereasonsthe Most High a tempest, may at last be blown
was pleased to leave them to learn down by the merest breath of wind.
their error, or at least their preeipi- Let no sinner from long forbearance
tance in this respect, by the event. He promise himself final impunity.'Man
says, in reply, not as our translation knoweth not his time: as the fishes
has it,' Judah (shall go up) first,' but that are taken in an evil net, and as
simply y  tr:Ml Tii'TU YehudAh batte- thebirds that are caught in the snare;
%ila,1hh, Judah (is) in the precedency, so are the sons of men snared in an
q. d.' Judah has already, ch. 1. 2, evil time, when it falleth suddenly
been constituted leader of the tribes, upon them.'
the pre-eminence in every important   22. T   me men,  f Israel encouraged
point has been before assigned to that t emselves. Heb. A'drn yiti'hazzek,
tribe;: of what use then is inquiry on strengthened themselves; i. e. assumed
that head nowi?' This answer, in- fresh courage.  Attributing the restead of being rightly construed as cent defeat to some misconduct which
smrplying the divine approbation of they conceive  themselves able to
their proceedings, is rather to be re- remedy, they are altogether sanguine
garded as a sovereign  onnivance in in view of the result of another entheir rashness.  Designing undoubt- gagement.-~  In  the place where
edly to bring about the punishment they put themselves in array the first,
of the mass of the people for their day.  Determined; it would seem, to
guilty toleration of the idolatry es- retrieve the disgrace of their failure
Pablished in Dan, he is pleased for on the very spot where it had been
the present to'choose their delusions.' incurred. Should they succeed in a
It may' be admitted that apart from  second conflict undes the same cirC~UsM




1.. 1406.J            CHAPTER  XX.                          245
LORD  unti. even, and  asked came near against the children
counsel of the LORD, saying, of Benjamin the second day.
Shall I go up again to battle  25 And tBenjamin went forth
against the children of Benjamin against them out of Gibeah the
my brother?  And the LORD second day, and destroyeddown
said, Go up against him.)        to the ground of the children of
24 And the children of Israel Israel again eighteen thousand
t ver. 21.          men; all these drew the sword.
stances, it would effectually wipe that given to Balaam to go with the
away the ignominy contracted by the elders of Moab-a mere tolerance,
issue of the first.              not an approbation, of the step, as
23. Went up and wept before the viewed in connexion with the motives
Lord. Yet all their arrangements by which it was prompted.  Seeing
for battle had been previously made, them resolved to go forward at all
and they seem now to have consult- events, he was pleased to exercise his
ed God, as some men consult the prerogative and return to them an
Scriptures, to establish a previously answer aparently coinciding with
formed opinion. It was not to learn their wishes, and capable of being so
their duty in the first instance, but to understood, as to mislead them, in
obtain sanction for a measure upon case the perverseness of their hearts
which they had already resolved. should put such a construction upon
They should have deferred making it.  But there was no necessity for
their preparations till after they had their misinterpreting the oracle, and
made their confession and taken God is still to be accounted rightcounsel. Their tears and lamenta- eous, though his words or his ways
tions under  these  circumstances may prove an occasion of stumbling
availed them  nothing; at least, did to those whose hearts are already
not secure them from defeat; and as predisposed to it. He is under no
in their self-confidence, they made obligation to correct the erroneous
no inquiry as to success, nor invoked impressions of those who'draw near
assistance, God gave them no pro- to him with their lips while their
mnise on that score.-~fAnd the Lord hearts are far from him.'
said, Go up against him.  As if he   25. Destroyed-againeighteen thouhad said,' You have good cause for sand men. The remarks already
going up against them, they have made above will serve to throw light
justly rendered themselves liable to upqn the reasons of this disastrous
punishment;' and  yet the result issue of a cause in itself good. God
plainly proves, that he did not design had ulterior designs to effect beyond
hereby to convey to them any inti- the merited punishment of the Benmation that his blessing or protec- jamites. He had great moral lestion would accompany them, so long sons to teach, not to the men of that
as they were not duly humbled and age only, but to the most distant genpenitent for their sins, and thus pre- erations. Especially may we suppared for success. The permission, pose that he proposed by such a retherefore, to go up was similar to suit to impress upe'-:c'cu  minds the
21*'~




246                         JUDGES.                   [B. C. 1406
26 IT Then all the children of before the LORD, and fasted that
Israel, and all the people, u went dayuntil even, and offered burntup, and came unto the house of offerings and peace-offerings beGod, and wept, and sat there fore the LORD.
U ver. 18.            27 And the children of Israel
conviction, that the success of any adverse providence, they are led at
cause depends not solely upon its in- length to'accomplish a more dili.
trinsic goodness, obut also upon its gent search' into the true causes of
being conducted with a right spirit the sad disaster which had befallen
and by proper means. Israel had them. They see now that they had
ample grounds for proceeding to ex- trusted too much to the goodness of
tremities  against their offending their cause and the superiority of
brethren, and yet from not going for- their numbers. They are now conward in an acceptable manner they vinced that they ought to have begun
met with a terrible rebuke when they at the outset with repentance and releast expected it; and not only so, formation, with solemn sacrifices and
for a time the cause of the wicked earnest supplications, instead  of
seemed to triumph. The Prophet rushing forward with unhumbled
Hosea, ch. 10, 9, in allusion to this hearts, reckless of their own aposevent says,' The battle in Gibeah tasies, and prompted by a zeal for
against the children of iniquity did God in which was largely mingled
not overtake them,' i. e. did not at the'strange fire' of human resentfirst overtake them, and any one who ment. The consequence is, that in
should have witnessed the two de- deep affliction they now  compass
feats of Israel would have been ready God's altar, abasing their souls unto conclude that the cause for which der the sense of conscious guilt, revictory was decided was right. But jecting every vain confidence, bewe are not to judge from events. wailing not so much their losses as
Righteousness is not always tri- the unworthiness which had caused.
umphant in this world. It may be them, and devoutly imploring that
oppressed, and the supporters of it for aid which they had before so rashly
a long time foiled in their labors and taken for granted. This was the
apparently trodden under foot; but right method of procedure, and the
though cast down, they shall not be happy fruits of their weeping and
destroyed: a day is at hand when fasting  begin  at once to appear.
God will vindicate his own cause, Being brought to a proper frame of
and evince the equity of all his dis- spirit they are prepared to receive
pensations. In the mean time, let the blessing, and the Most High acus make the unalterable word of God cordingly gives them positive assurthe rule of our judgment as well as ance of success;' Go uip, for to-morof our actions, and we can never go row I will deliver them  into thine
far amiss.                         hand.' Whenever a soul, in true
26. Went up, and came unto the humiliation, is brought low before
house of God, and wept, &c. Con- God, the end of its calamities is at
founded by these repeated strokes of hand; the day of deliverance has




B. C. 1406.]             CHAPTER XX.                               247
inquired of the LORD, (for xthe  up; for to-morrow I will deliver
ark of the covenant of God was them  into thy hand.
there in those days,                 29 And Israel aset liers in wait
28 Y And Phinehas, the son of round about Gibeah.
Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron,  30 And the children of Israel
stood before it in those days,) went up against the children of
saying, Shall I yet again go out Benjamin on the third day, and
to battle against the children of put themselves in array against
Benjamin my brother, or shall I Gibeah, as at other times.
cease?  And the LORD said, Go   31 And the children of Benjax Josh. 18. 1. 1 Sam. 4. 3, 4. y Josh. 24. min went out against the peo33. z Deut. 10. 8, and 18. 5.                  a So Josh. 8. 4.
already dawned.-~Sat there before which the original for'served' is
the Lord. Implying either that they' stood before.' This was the same
assumed the usual posture of mour- Phinehas who so remarkably signalners, Lam. 1. 1; Ps. 137. 1, or that ized his zeal for the glory of God on
they abode there, as the same phrase a formner occasion, Num. 25. Had
is rendered ch. 21. 12, during the this war occurred after the death of
whole day, in the exercise of un- Samson, Phinehas must now  have
feigned contrition of spirit, or per- been upwards of 300 years old; but
haps more properly both.  Every it fell out between the death of Joshua
thing in the phraseology conveys the and the first judge.
idea that their repentance was deep,   29. Israel set tiers in watt. Notthorough and sincere.  Extraordi- withstanding  the  express promise
nary cases require extraordinary acts which had been given them of sucof self-abasement, and godly sorrow. cess, yet they expected it not without
Men are often but little aware how  the use of the proper means. Divine
deep their spiritual wounds need to assurances rightly received, instead
be probed in order to effect a perfect of leading to remissness and precure.  We are apt to heal the hurts sumption, will never fail to inspire
of our souls too slightly. Probably every  prudent precaution.   The
one great design of this narrative was management of the stratagem  here
to teach us that God often sees be- employed is very largely described
neath a fair exterior an amount of in the ensuing verses, but it is sufcorruption, which an ordinary or su- ficient to say that in its general feaperficial repentance will not avail to ture it was very similar to that emremove.                             ployed with so much success by
28. Plhineltas-stoodbeforeit in those Joshua in the taking of Ai, Josh.
days. Or, Heb. 1'1%)5'It. omed 1s- 8. 1-29.' When  God hath used
pacnasv, before htirn, i e. God.'Stand- Benjamin  to  execute  his justice
ing,' or' standing be'fore' any one, is against Israel for not punishing idola Scriptural term for siseistering, as atry; he then useth Israel to punish
appears from  Deut. 10. 8; 18. 7; Benjamin for not delivering Gibeah
Prov. 22. 29; Jer. 52. 12, compared up to justice.' Lighltfoot.
with 2 Kings 25. 8, in the former of   31. Were drawn away from t.7e city.




248                         JUDGES.                 [B. C. 1406.
ple, and were drawn away from  battle was sore: bbut they knew
the city; and they began to not that evil was near them.
smite of the people, and kill, as  35 And the LORD smote Benat other times, in the highways, jamin before Israel:  and the
of which one goeth up to the children of Israel destroyed of
house of God, and the other to the Benjamites that day twenty
Gibeah in the field, about thirty and five thousand and an hunmen of Israel.                   dred men: all these drew  the
32 And the children of Benja- sword.
min  said, They  are  smitten   36 So the children of Benjamin
down before us, as at the first. saw  that they  were smitten:
But the children of Israel said, C for the men of Israel gave place
Let us flee, and draw them from  to the Benjamites, because they
the city unto the highways.      trusted unto the liers in wait
33 And all the men of Israel which  they  had  set  beside
rose up out of their place, and Gibeah.
put themselvesinarrayat Baal-  37 dAnd  the  liers  in  wait
tamar: and the liers in wait of hasted, and rushed upon GibeIsrael came forth out of their ah; and the liers in wait drew
places, even out of the meadows themselves along, and smote all
of Gibeah.                       the city with the edge of the
34 And there  came  against sword.
Gibeah  ten  thousand  chosen   b Josh. 8. 14. lsai. 47. 11. c Josh. 8. 15.
men out of all Israel, and the d Josh. 8. 19.
By the feigned flight of a portion of place of the same name situated' in
the invaders.-~  Began to smite of the field.'
the people, and kill, as at other times.  33. Out of the meadows of Gibeah.
Heb.' began to smite of the people Heb. YS:   77   mimnaarh gaba,
wounded, as at other times;' i. e. to more properly rendered' caves of
smite so as mortally to wound them; Gibeah,' for how could an ambuscade
a Hebraic idiom of not uncommon be placed in meadows? The details
occurrence. See on ch. 15. 19.- of the narrative, included v. 31-43,
F In the highways. That is, perhaps, are extremely perplexed, and we' in the meeting of the ways.' The despair of being able, by any explanasubsequent phrase,'in the field,' in- tion, to simplify them. The general
steadofbeingconnected with Gibeah, drift of the writer, however, is eviought, we imagine, to be connected dent, and to understand that is perwith' highways,' implying that this haps sufficient.
junction of ways or roads was at   35. The Lord smote, &c. In this
considerable distance from  the city verse the sacred writer relates the
of Gibeah. It is difficult to conceive event of the battle in general terms.
what is meant by'Gibeah in the In the sequel he resumes the story,
field,' as the city so called was un- giving the particulars of the battle,
doubtedly situated on a hill, and we and the consequences of the victory
have no intimation of any other more in detail.




B. C. 1406.]           CHAPTER  XX.                            249
38 Now there was an appoint- they saw  that evil was come
ed sign between the men of Is- upon them.
rael and the liers in wait, that  42 Therefore they turned their
they should make a great flame backs before the men of Israel
with smoke rise up out of the unto the way of the wilderness;
city.                             but the battle overtook them;
39 And when the men of Is- and them which came out of the
rael retired in the battle, Benja- cities they destroyed in the midst
mini began to smite and kill of of them.
the men of Israel about thirty   43  Thus they  enclosed  the
persons: for they said, Surely  Benjamites  round  about, and
they are smitten down  before chased them, and trode them
us, as in the first battle.       down with  ease over against
40 But when the flame began  Gibeah toward the sun-rising.
to arise up out of the city with   44 And there fell of Benjamin
a pillar of smoke, the Benja- eighteen  thousand  men;  all
mites e looked behind them, and these were men of valor.
behold, the flame of the city   45 And they turned and fled
ascended up to heaven.            toward the wilderness unto the
41 And when the men of Is- rock  of fRimmon. and  they
rael turned again, the men of gleaned of them in the, highways
Benjamin  were  amazed: for five thousand men; and pursued
e Josh. 8. 20.                    f Josh. 15. 32.
37. Drew  themselves along.  Ex- and all hope cut off in.that quarter,
tended themselves. We have only they again face the enemy with a
to conceive of a dense mass of men determination, if possible, to cut a
hitherto confined to a narrow com- passage through them, and escape
pass suddenly stretching themselves to the wilderness.  But while atout in a long train, and rapidly urg- tempting this, the ambush from the
ing their way to the city.        city (here according to a Hebrew
38. A gr'eatflame with, smoke. Heb. idiom, ch. 12. 7, called' cities') fell
waYtr rZa7f  masath heAshmb, a great upon them in the rear; so that they
elevation of smoke. So also v. 40  were properly said to be' destroyed
40. The flame of the city ascended in the midst of them,' i. e. between
u6p. Heb.'the whole, the entireness the two divisions.
of the city ascended.' The general   45. They turned and fled toward
sense, but not the exact meaning of the wilderness unto the rockc of Rimthe Hebrew, is preserved in our mon.  A  small remnant escaped,
translation.                      notwithstanding every effort to pre42. Turned their backs before the vent it, and fled to the rock of Rimmen of Israel, &c. Undoubtedly an mon, supposed to lie in the wildererroneous rendering. As we read ness of Judah, about twenty-six miles
the original, instead of turning their sol:th-west of Jerusalem. —   Gleanbacks they turned their faces towards ed of R.iem in the highzvways. Cut off
the enemy. Seeing their city on fire all the stragglers that they found




250                         JUDGES.                     [B. C. 1406
hard  after them  unto  Gidom, unto  the  rock  Rimmon, and
and slew two thousand men of abode in the rock Rimmon four
them.                              months.
46 So that all which fell that  48 And the men of Israel turnday of Benjamin were twenty  ed again upon the children of
and five thousand men that drew  Benjamin, and smote them with
the sword; all these were men the edge of the sword, as well
of valor.                          the men  of every city, as the
47 gBut six hundred men turn- beast, and all that came to hand:
ed and fled  to the wilderness also  they set on  fire all the
g clI. 21. 13.         cities that they came to.
scattered here and there over the is part of mount Lebanon, wherein is
country. The metaphor is highly  the village of Gesin, and close to it
expressive, implying that they were the rock which served for a retreat
cut off as clean as a field or a vine- to the emir. The pacha pressed the
yard that has been gleaned after the emir so closely, that this unfortunate
harvest or the vintage has been gath- prince was obliged to shut himself
ered in.                            up in a cleft of a great rock with a
46. Twenty  and five thoscand. small number of his officers. The
The additional hundred mentioned pacha besieged  them  for several
v. 35 is here omitted, and merely the months; and was gowing to blow up
round  number  retained.   There the rock with a mine, when the
lacks also another thousand to make emir capitulated. (Bagster.)
out the whole force of the Benja-   48. Snmote theemn with t/ie edge of the
mites as given v. 15, but these are sword, &e.  Probably the excessive
supposed to have fallen in the two severity of the slaughter on this ocfbrmer battles, and so are omitted casion, considered as the act of Israel,
here, where he speaks only of those cannot be justified; and so they themslain in the third day.            selves seem to have viewed it after
47. The'ock/ of Rinrnmon. This their passions had had time to cool.
was doubtless some strong rocky hold ch. 21. 3. The crime of the men of
or fastness, that took its name from  Gibeah was indeed great, but it does
the village of Rimn.zon, mentioned by not appear to have been sufficient to
Eusebius, fifteen miles north from  warrant the extirpation of a whole
Jerusalem.  It appears that rocks are tribe.  Considered, however, as the
still resorted to in the East as places sovereign allotment of Jehovah we
of security, and some of them  are must acquiesce in it as a dispensaeven capable of sustaining a siege. tion, to the justice of which we can
De la Roque says, that the Grand make no reply.
Seignior, wishing to seize the person
of the Emir (Fakaddin, prince of the       CHAPTER  XXI.
Druzes) gave orders to thle pacha to   1.  /t.he me?? of I.srael had swuorn
take him  prisoner; he accordingly  &c. At the commencement of the
came in search of him with a new wear, when assembled at Mizpeh.
army, in the district ofCheuf, which  We have no previous account of this




B3. C. 1406.j            CHAPTER   XXL.                              251
CHAPTER XXI                  the house of God, and abode
OWX   a the men of Israel had  there till even before God, and
sworn in Mizpeh, saying, lifted up their voices, and wept
There shall not any of us give  sore
his daughter unto Benjamin  to   3 And said, 0  LoRD God of
wife.                                Israel, why is this come to pass
2  And the  people  came  b to  in Israel, that there  should be
t ch. 20. 1. b Ch. 20. 1SS 26.  to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?
oath, but it is plainly of a piece with  sore.  They found but melancholy
the general precipitancy and rash- matter for triumph in their recent
ness which characterized their con- victory.  It was an event not to be
duct on this occasion, and serves celebrated by the voice of joy and
still farther to account for the sad praise, but by that of lamentation and
discomfiture which marked the out- mourning and wo. Having satisfied
set of their enterprise.   The oath, their revenge, they now experience
which, as appears from  v. 18, was the truth of the remark, that'strong
attended with an execration, was not passions make work for repentance.'
probably made  with the design of  Still they did well in appealing to
extirpating the tribe, for it supposes God in their extremity.  His infinite
that some of the Benjamites might compassion allows us to have resurvive, and if so, they might marry  course to him to repair the breaches
the surviving women of their own  which our own folly and infatuation
tribe; but it merely expresses a gene- have made.  Provided we are truly
ral determination to treat the actors penitent in view of the past, we may
and abettors of the horrid deed per- say to him of the desolations we have
petrated at Gibeah, as they would wrought, 6 This ruin be under thy
treatthe worst ofthe devoted Canaan- hand,' i. e. under thy remedial, thy
ites, with whom they were utterly for- restoring hand.
bidden to intermarry.  Their own    3. Hzh7y is this come to pass ix Issubsequent conduct, however, as re-.,aei? &c.  This, if we regard the
lated in the present chapter, proves mere letter, has somewhat the air
that they were siensible of having  of irreverent remonstrance or exgone too far, and reminds us of the postulation with God, for suffering
fact, that when our spirits are exas- such a calamity to befall his people;
perated we too often say and do that but considering the penitent frame
which in our calmer momlents we of mincl in which they were now
wish unsaid and undone.  Nothing  assembled, we know not how to atmore requires the controlling influ- tribute to thetm so gross an impiety
ence of the wisdom  which is from  as this interpretation would suppose.
above, than the impulses of an ar- We take it rather as an expression
dent zeal.' There may be over-do- of mingled self-reproach and  suppliing in well-doing.  That is no good cation, equivalent to saying,'Alas!
divinity which swallows up humani- how is it possible that we could have
ty.e  Heenr.?                        been guilty of such an outrage! that
2. LfJted  tp their' voices, acd wept we should have uttered a vow  in



25,2                       JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406.
4 And it came to pass on the up with the congregation unto
morrow, that the people rose the Lord?  d For they had made
early, and Cbuilt there an altar, a great oath  concerning  him
and offered burnt-offerings, and that came not up to the LORD
peace-offerings.                  to  Mizpeh, saying, He  shall
5 And the children of Israel surely be put to death,
said, Who is there among all the   6 And the children of Israel
tribes of Israel that came not repented  them   for  Benjamin
c2  m. 24. 25.                      d ch.5, 23,;
volving such a necessity as the vir- against him  who should fall under
tual extinction of a tribe   O Lord its effects.  They now begin to perGod, is there no way of extrication ceive a clue to guide them out of
from the dilemma in which we have the labyrinth of perplexity in which
so thoughtlessly ensnared ourselves!' they  were  previously  involved,
The prayer evidently implies the be- Whether this expedient was divinelief on their part, that it would be ly suggested, we are not informed,
more offensive in the eyes of heaven -~.IIe shall surely be put to death.,
if they should persist in adhering to A severe sentence, but perhaps just
their rash purpose, than if they should under the circumstances.  Indiffter
renounce it, and yet the burden of a ence to so aggravated a crime as
solemn obligation rests upoin their that of the men of Gibeah showed
consciences, from which they dare an extremely depraved state of monot deem themselves released except ral feeling, and their brethren could
by a divine dispensation. See Note not but look upon their refusal to
on Josh, 9. 15.                   aid in bringing the offenders to con4. Built there an altar.  There dign punishment as a virtual sancwas, undoubtedly, an altar already tion of the deed. They felt bound,
established at Shiloh for the ordinary therefore, to proceed against them
round of services, but the probability just as if they had personally shared
is, that they now built one of larger in the guilt of the heinous transacdimensions than the other, in order tion. Yet we know  not that the
to accommodatethe greater multitude  actual execution of their oath in the
of sacrifices which they proposed to indiscriminate slaughter of' men,
offer on this occasion.  A similar married women, and children, is to
measure, we learn I Kings, 8. 64, be any more excused than the prewas adopted by Solomon for a simi- vious unsparing destruction of the
Jar reason. The motives by which Benjamites.  Without presuming
they were governed made the step to denominate the passions by which
lawful. The altar was erected, not they were prompted' cursed,' as did
in competition, but in communion, Jacob the spirit of Simeon and Levi
with that already established at the in their conduct towards the Shedoor of the tabernacle.           chemites, we may still say in the pa5. Had made a great oat/h, &c. arch's language of' their anger, it
That is, an oath attended with a was fierce, and their wrath it was
tearful execration, an anathema, cruel.'




B. C. 1406.]           CHAPTER  XXI.                            253
their brother, and said, There is LORD? And behold, there came
one tribe cut off from Israel this none to the camp from e Jabeshday.                               gilead to the assembly.
7 How shall we do for wives   9 For the people were numfor them that remain, seeing we  bered, and  behold  there were
have sworn by the LORD, that none of the inhabitants of Jawe will not give them  of our besh-gilead there.
daughters to wives?                10 And the congregation sent
8  TI And they said, What one thither twelve thousand men of
is there of the tribes of Israel that the valiantest, and commanded
came not up to Mizpeh to the              e 1 Sam. 11. 1, and 31. 11.
6. There is one tribe cut off from    8. There came none to the camp
Israel this day. Likely tobe cut off; from Jabesh-gilead. This was a city
that will be cut off, unless some of the half-tribe of Manasseh, east of
measures are taken to prevent it. Jordan, situated ona hill near Mount
For it appears from the next verse, Gilead, about fifteen miles east of
though no where expressly asserted, Jordan, and about an equal distance
that they had destroyed all the wo- south of Gadara. It was not far from
men of Benjamin, and as only the the lake of Genesaret. Eusebius and
small remnant of six hundred men Jerome say that it was a large town
remained, who had fled to the rock in their time, standing upon a hill
of Rimmon, there was evident dan- six miles south of Pella, in the way
ger of the extinction of the whole to Gerasa, now Djerash.  The Wadi
tribe. But this was an event not to Yabes, mentioned  by Burckhardt,
be thought of, if it were possible to which empties itself into the Jordan,
prevent it.'God had taken care of in the neighborhood of Bisan or
every tribe; their number twelve Bethshan, and upon which Pella was
was that which they were known by; situated, seems to have taken its name
every tribe had its station appointed from Jabesh. Near this spot, therein the camp, and his stone in the fore, we must look for its site; and
high priest's breastplate; every tribe the place called KalautRabbad seems
had his blessing both from Jacob and to correspond very nearly to the spot;
Moses, and it would be an intoler- though  it probably  still retains,
able reproach to them, if they should among the Arabs, its ancient name.
drop any out of this illustrious jury, (Bagster.)
and lose one out of twelve; especi-   10.- kent thither twvelve thaousand
ally Benjamin, the youngest, who men of the valiantest. Heb. 19=
wes especially dear to Jacob, their IlMn  m nibbene he'htyil, of the sons of
common ancestor, and whom all the might, or pr'owess. It is seriously to
rest ought to have been in a particu- be questioned whether they u ere juslar manner tender of. Benjamin is tifiable in resolving upon such a sumnot; what then will become of Ja- mary mode of vengeance, without
cob? Benjamin becomes a Benoni; any previous inquiry, or giving them
the, soru of the right hand, a son of any opportunity of defence. The
sorrowv!' Henry.                  presumption, it is true, was decidedly
22




254                          JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406.
thern, saying, fGo and smite the known no man by lying with
inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with  any male: and  they  brought
the edge of the sword, with the  them  unto the camp to hShiloh,
women and the children.            which is in the land of Canaan.
11 And this is the thing that   13 And the whole congregation
ye shall do, eYe shall utterly  sent some to speak to the childdestroy every male, and every  ren of Benjamin i that were in the
woman that hath lain by man.  rock Rimmon, and to call peace12 And they found among the ably unto them.
inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four   14 And Benjamin came again
hundred young virgins that had  at that time; and they  gave
f ver. 5, and ch. 5. 23. 1 Sam. 11. 7. them   wives which  they  had
g Num. 31. 17.                       h Josh. 18.1. i ch. 20. 47. Deut. 20. 10.
against the men of Jabesh-gilead, Heb. h}1onP hMd.1 nhl   V=lI arbec
yet it is still possible that they might mioth naharc-ah bettlalch, four hundred
have been able to plead some exten- young women,virgins.Unmarried, but
uating circumstances in their behalf, marriageable.  It is to be presumed
and if so, they certainly should have that all other young females were also
had an opportunity afforded them. spared.-~  Shiloh, which is in the
But when  the passions are vehe- land of Canaan.  Thus particularly
mentlyexcited, men are prone to be designated, because  Jabe.>h-gilead
carried beyond all bounds of equity  was not situated in Canaan proper,
or decorum, and the Israelites in this but in the land of Gilead east of the
instance appear to have committed Jordan.
a second crime to repair the conse-   13. In the rock Rimmnoo.  That is,
quences of a first.                in a cave in the rock of which they
11. Thlat hatt lainc by man. Heb. made a fastness, and there vigorously
l.t~  21:2t D:~P? yodaat?; mis/tkoab maintained their position. — r To
zak-er, knowzin,  or' havin1 experiece, call peaceably unto them. Heb. O'lx~i
of the lying by mnan. Thi.s order ex- tiPs, i  vayikreu lcizem shz&lom,
cepted of course the virgins from its to proclaim peace unto them. Arab.
effects. They were perhaps influ-'salluting  them  and giving them  a
enced in this by the precedent re- pledge.' To assure them that their
corded Num. 31. 17, 18, where Moses, former enmity was now extinguislh
when he sent the same number of ed, and that they might now  with
men to avenge the LorduponlMidian, safety leave their stronghold. They
gave it in charge, as here, that all had escaped the slaughter and been
the married women be slain with  thus fhr preserved by the special
their husbands, but that the virgins providence of God, to prevent the
should be preserved alive.  We.may Itter extinction of the tribe. Had
suppose the unmarried maidens to the Israelites succeeded to the utmost
have been easily distinguishable by of their wishes, they would have cut
their mode of dress from the married  them off entirely.
women.                                14. Besijamni  came again.  The
12. F/our hkndred young virgis.  scanty remnant of the tribe returned




B. C. 1406.]             CHAPTER  XXI.                            255
saved alive  of the women of be an inheritance for them  that
Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they  be escaped of Benjamin, that a
sufficed them not.                 tribe be not destroyed out of
15 And the people krepented  Israel.
them for Benjamin, because that  18 Howbeit, we may not give
the LORD had made a breach in them  wives of our daughters:
the tribes of Israel.'for the children of Israel have
16 ~T Then the elders of the sworn, saying, Cursed be he that
congregation  said, How   shall giveth a wife to Benjamin.
we do for wives for them  that   19 Then  they  said, Behold,
remain, seeing the women are there is a feast of the LORD in
destroyed out of Benjamin?        Shiloh yearly in a place which
17 And they said, There must is on the north side of Beth-el,
k ver. 6.                       ver. 1. ch. 11. 35.
from their place of retreat; assured  may be capable of possessing and
of safety, they came again into the cultivating the whole of their terrimidst of Israel. —~T Yet so they sef- tory.
ficed not.  Heb. )Z tU5 IfZIN     M1>    19. A feast of the Lord in Shiloh.
velo mnatzeu lhaheo ken, arnd they foulnd That is, a festival. In modern acnwtfot' therm so; i. e found not enough; ceptation,' feast,' implies a banquet
there was still a remainder of two or eating entertainment, but this is not
hundred left unsupplied.           necessarily included in the Scriptur15. The people repented them. Ra- al sense of the term. It often means
ther,' commiserated, or were griev- no more than a festive occasion, howed about Benjamin their brother.'- ever celebrated, and probably has
~I Thte Lord had made. Had permitted that import here. But what particuto be made, had so ordered things in lar solemnity is intended it is imposhis providence that a breach was sible to determine. It might have
made. The divine permissions are been either the passover, pentecost, or
incessantly spoken of in the Scrip- feast of tabernacles, all of which
tures as positive acts.  The same were celebrated at that time of the
event which is referred to men as far year, when the vines were in full
as it is a sin, is referred to God as leaf, so that the Benjamites might
far as it is a punishment. It is in easily conceal themselves in the vinethis sense that the prophet's language yards.-IT On the no'rth side of Bet/his to be int,.rpreted,' Is there evil in el. This is a particular indication of
the city, and the Lord hath not done the situation, not of Shiloh, but of
it' V                             the place in the neighborhood where
17. There must be an i1nheritaence the young women w ere likely to come
for them that be escaped of Benjarmin. to dance. It is probably thus pre.
Or, Heb.'the inheritance (i. e. of cisely described, that the Benjamites
the whole tribe of Benjamin) (is or might not mistake the place. It was
belongs to) the escaped remnant of not certain that the young women
Benjamin.' We must therefore pro- would come there (v. 21), but it was
cure wives for them  all, that they probable, the custom being common.




256                         JUDGES.                    [B. C. 1406.
on the east side of the highway  catch you every man his wife
that goeth up from  Beth-el to  of the daughters of Shiloh, and
Shechem, and on the south of go to the land of Benjamin.
Lebonah.                            22 And it shall be, when their
20 Therefore they commanded fathers or their brethren come
the children of Benjamin, say- unto us to  complain, that we
ing, Go, and lie in wait in the will say unto them, Be favorvineyards;                         able unto them  for our sakes:
21 And see, and behold, if the because  we  reserved  not to
daughters of Shiloh come out each man his wife in the war:
ito dance in dances, then come for ye did not give unto them at
ye out of the vineyards, and this time, that ye should  be
mSee Ex. 15. 20. ch. 11. 34. 1 Sam. 18. guilty.
6. Jer. 31.13.                      23 And the children of BenjaThe Orientals generally have no bonah to be occupied either by Khan
places in their towns, where assem- Leben, situated on the eastern side
blies may be held for festivity and i of a'delicious vale,' four leagues
dancing.  It is therefore customary south from Shechem, and two leagues
to hold such assemblies in some plea- north from Beth-el, or by the village
sant places in the neighborhood, in of Leban which is on the opposite
the gardens or plantations, or in side.  It is eight hours, or about
small valleys, if there be any. This twenty-four miles from Jerusalem,
is a favorite mode of enjoyment with according to Dr. Richardson.
the women. There are certain occa-   21. Catch you every man his wife.
sions of annual recurrence in which  Heb. MCM1U)q U:  ish ishto, a wo2nan,
the women are allowed this indul- his wife. Seize and carry off a wogence in the fullest extent, and thus man, whom he is, from that hour, to
they form large parties, which go out consider as his wife.
to amuse themselves with music,   22. Befavorable unto them for our
dancing, and such other recreations, sakes.   Rather, Heb. 0lR1'1N'1n
as are common among females. The'honnqunu othr&m, be gracious to uzs
approaches of the place whete they with them, or, as it Arespects them. The
assemble are now usually guarded by reasons urged for this clemency they
eunuchs to prevent intrusion.  The go on immediately to state.-~- Bedifferent sexes never participate in cause we reserved not to each man his
each other's amusements; and this'wife in the war.  Intimating that
was the case in the times of the Bi- they were conscious of having done
ble; for we never read of any amuse- wrong in the indiscriminate slaughment or festivity in which they min- ter of the women of Benjamin; that
gled; and if men had in this instance they ought at least to have reserved
been present with the daughters of enough to furnish wives for the remShiloh, the Benjamites would not so nant that survived.  By this coneasily have secured their prey. (Pict. struction of their vow not to match
Bible.) —  r Lebona/h.  Maundrell with them, they would, if possible,
supposes the site of the ancient Le- atone for the rashness of their vow}




B. C. 1406.]          CHAPTER  XXI.                            257
min did so, and took them wives, every man to his tribe and to
according to their number, of his family, and they went out
them  that danced, whom  they from  thence every man to his
caught: and they went and re- inheritance.
turned unto their inheritance,  25 oIn those days there was no
and  repaired the cities, and king in Israel: P every man did
dwelt in them.                    that which was right in his own
24 And the children of Israel eyes.
departed thence at that time,  o ch. 17. 6, and 18. 1, and 19. 1. p Deut.
n See ch. 20. 48.     12. 8. ch. 17.6.
to destroy them. —--  Ye did not give towards them in the most honorable
unto them at th/is time that ye s/ould manner, and as the six hundred men
be guilty. By not giving your daugh- shared by survivorship the inheritters or sisters voluntarily, ye have ance of many thousands, they were
avoided the guilt of violating your probably better provided for in the
solemn vow. As they were taken by things of this world, than if they had
force and fraud, without your know- married within the bounds of their
ledge or consent, you have no reason own tribes. But man's evil is evil
to blame yourselves for the transac- still, though God in his sovereignty
tion, and the exigency of the case is may bring good out of it.
so pressing, that it behooves all par-   24. Every man to his tribe. By'
ties to submit to it in silence. Of comparing this with ch. 20, 47, it
the measure in general we can only appears that although this was at
say, that although they escaped by it least four months after the war with
the literal breach of their vow, yet it Benjamin, yet the forces did not diswas in fact an actual evasion of it, band themselves and retire to their
and one tending to give direct license homes, till the affair of the remnant
to fraud, Violence, and the marriage of that tribe was finally and peaceof children without the consent of ably adjusted.
their parents.  The incident, how-   25. No king in Israel.  Repeated
ever, extenuated by circumstances, undoubtedly in order to account for
adds one more to the numerous proofs the disorders and enormities related
afforded by holy writ of the weak- in the preceding chapters.   The
ness, the folly, and pernicious con- writer informs us that these events
sequences of precipitate vows.    occurred in a time of complete an23. Went and returned unto their archy when every man did that
inheritance. Although the end can which was right in his own eyesnever justify the means, yet in the the only apology that could be offerpresent case the abducted maidens ed for such atrocious scenes.  Such
of Israel probably had no cause in an impartial relation of facts so
the iqsue to rue the lot which had highly discreditable to his own namade them wives against their wills, tion, affords the strongest proof of
or at least without their consent. the truth and authenticity of the
The Benjamites seem to have acted whole narrative.
22*