Commentary on the Holy Bible

4 And it came to pain, afbre Isaiah was ^ne out into the middle ' court, that the word of the liORS came to him, sayins,

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah ■ the captain bf my people, Thus saith the Lord, the Qod of David thy father, ■ I have heard thy prayer, I haveieen ■ thy teara: behold, i will heal thee: on the third day, thou shait go up ooto the hooeeortheLoRD.

6 And I will add onto thv daya fifteen years; and I will ddiver thee and tiiis eitr out of the hand at the king of Assyria: and < l will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my aerrant David's s^e.

7 Aad 'Isaiah saidftdw a tump of fifs. And they took and laid it on the bile, and he recovered.

8 If And Hezekiah eaid unto Isaiah, ■ What thallbe the sign that Uie Loan will heal me, and that I •haUKOupintothehouaeof theL<»u> the third day 1

9 And Isaiah said, ' This sign shah thou have of the Lrf»BD, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: stuill the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go^back ten degrees?

10 And Hezdtiah answered, It is a light thing for the sliadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

11 And imaiah the prophet cried.unto the Lord: and 'lie brought the shadow ten de^eee

enabled him to do ■oT — Qod. Could h«, therefore, plead im hie behalf diepoeiiioiu utd eetione vhich be eouM -neither ham felt nor pnctiaed but by the poioer of Ikt grace tf CM f I trow noL But the liniee of this ignoranoe Gfod winked at. The (Soepel teadliee u* a different leaaon.

Wept tore.} How elouded must hia proopeels of soothar world nave beenl But it it Mid thM, aa he Mw the nation in danger from the Aaiyrian armv, which was theo iBvadinr it, and threatened lo destroy toe religion of the tore Qod, he waa matly affected at die news of his death, aa be wished ta Gve to see the enenies of God overthrown. And, therefoTb Ood promises that he wiU diliv&r tk* city out qf the katuUiff-tke king Attyria, at the eame time that he promisee him a respite mJLJUea y«ara, ver. ft. Hie temeniatioo on this occasion laay be seen in Isaiah, chap. xxxTiii.

Terse 4. hdo Ike midtUt amri) Mn ha-tter, IheanirL "nrim im the reading of the Masoretic K«ri: but vjm ha- Sir, " of the city," is the reading of the text, and of most M3S.; but die verrforw follow the Keri.

VerM 6. IMladd unta thy day Jifttn years] This far the Jlr9t and onhf man who erer was informed of the Urm^ktftifa. And was this a prtri/tjra? Surely no. U Hezekiah waa atiadwd to Hfe, at he appeara to have haen, how must his mind be affeeled to mark the Minking year»! Heknewke was to <fia at ^end of j|/l«*n yearst and how must he feel at the end of every year when he aaw thai so much was cue off from life! He must necaa- •arilv feel a thousand deaths in fearing one. I believe there would be nothing wanting to complete the misery of men, •xeept the ^ laee af lonaent, wvre ihey informed of ilie ■veewe time in which their lives must terminate. Oud, in hia ahundant marey, has hMldui this Irom their eyes.

Verae 7. Thk* a himp ofJlg*—^tid laid it an the tU*] Wo eanaot exaeily eay in whiu Hexekiah'a malady con- ■fal«(l. rw sAacAin, aignifiea any w{llammaiory tumour^ iUa, oAacMs, && "Rie vertimu traoilate it mtrt, wund^ and such like. Some think it was a itUurity; others, that it was the frfa^; otherL the OepkaTUuuiMi and other*, IhatitwaadtefirfMw. Apoulltee<rffigainiglUbe wry proper MmshinUea bile,or i^diseanany imUoate inflsmaaatory Bwel)»e. "Riis Pliay remariu, Omnifrus aiM* nuitutwuia out aiteuiimda wttni, impenuniur. But ws MJUMt pronounce oa the pn^iriety of the mppHeation, imleM we were eertain of dw nature of the moM^. 7111% howover, wae the natural means which God choaetobtees to the neovanr of Heiekirii's baahhi and, without this faMarpesitfon, ha moat bars died.

Vane aifXatahaU be lU ttga] He wiriied lobe fkilly «oaviiioed that his eora was to be entiiely supernatural; aad, in order to tfat% he seeks one miracle u> prove ■bo irwibsriht other, that ootbing might amain agn^oeai: Vasasil. m toaagM ^akadow tm degrm Mtwar^

12 f "At that time "BerodatA- ^ij?* baladan, the eon of Baladan, king of oi xVn. t. Babylon, sent letters and a present IuJ^jSSS^ unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that ■ Hesekiah hnd been sick.

13 And Hezekiah hearkened uhto them, and showed Ihera all the bouse <^ hie 'iweciotte things, the silver, and the gold, and the sfacea, and the precioua ointment, and ail the house m his ' armour, > and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezeltiah showed them

14 f Theneame Isaiah the prophet unto King Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah sakl. They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.

15 And he saitL What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, ■■All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there ia nothing among my treasures that 1 have not showed ihem.

16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord.

17 Behold, the days come, that all thai i» ia thine house, and that which tt^ lasers have laid up in atore imto this day, > shall be carried

Wecannot suppose that ihasetsitdMTesemeamfmAotir^ they were ten <<(«wwtt*^jims on ihtB dial; andperbqw it would not be right to suppose that the sun went ten degrees back in the heavens, or tttat the earth turned back upon its axis fromeosl to wesf in a contrary direction to ita natural course. But the mimole might be effected by means of r^fraetion. for a ray of light we know can be varied or ryraettd from a tiait by passing through a dense medium t and we know alsa, ag means of tbe refracting pow«r of the atmosphere, the sun, when near rising and settiiig, seems to be higher above tiie horixou than be really is; end, by borizootal refraction, we find that the sun appears ^wve the horizon when he is actually below it, and literally out of sight; therefore, by using dense clouds, or vapours, the rays of light in that plaoe might be r^fraeUa (rom their direct course tea, or any other number of degrees: so that tbe miracle mimt havo beea wrou|^ by oecasioaing this ezti««nlioai7 rtfrocfum, rather than by disturbing the course of the earUt, or ooy other of tbe ralestial booiea.

'/Tu dial cf Ahax\ See the note cm chap. iz. 13. and tbe obaervaiiona and didurani at the end of this dMpter.

Verse 12. Ai that tSiu BerodachrMadvi] He ia called Merodadi-baiadan, Isa. xxxix. 1. and by the Sep. tuagiui, Syriae, and Arabic verrions; and Iqr several of KennicoH'M and De Ro—Ce MSS. and also by the Bab}/- hnian and JerueaUm Taitnude. Tbe true reading seems to be Merodae: the o mem, and the a beth, might be easily interdianged, and so produce tbe mistake.

iient letlert and a prtMmt} It appears that there was friendship between the king of Babylon and Hesekiah, when the latter and the Aamians were engaged in a destmctive war. TTte king of Babylon bad not <aly heaid of \u»»ichu»t, but be bu hoard of die mirad^ save laam from 2 Chnon. xxxii. 21.

Verse 13. Hexekiak hearkened unio fftsm] Imtead of ysr«i vaiuiAmJt, he hearketied: riov*t vaiffimmach, " be rejoiced,"^ or " was rlad," is the reading of twelvt qf Kennieotee and De RoeaPt MSS. die pmxMd place, Isa. zxxix. %. the Septuagint, Syriae, Vulgate Arabic, some copies of die T^trgum, and ihe Babylonian TUnutd.

All the hoiue <ff' hie prtdoue Udnge] Interpreters are not well agreed about the meaniag of tbe original nui vecoiheh, which we here translate prtcimu thinget and in themarginipicfryorjnsels. Isu{q>osethelasttobenuant.

There toos twthinr in Ms wusej He showed them diroogh a spirit of mlv and eztiltation all bis treasures, and no doubt those in the bouse of die Lord. And it is iakli 2 Cbron. xxxiL 31. dial, ia thia business^ Ood IM JUm, to try him, that he vUM knots all that was in hie heart! and this trial proved (bat, in his heart, dwre.VM Utile else than pride wad tally.

Ymo 17. Bekoid Ihe dayeeome] Thia was fiiUUsd hi tbe deys of die ktter Jawidt Ig^ v^md the BslgrbMiiMU

16 And of thy sons that shall iaeue irom thee, -which thou shalt beget, ^ shall they take away; land ther shall be eunuchfl ia the palace of the king of Babylon.

19 Then said Hezekiah onto Isaiah, "Good ft the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, " Is il not good, if peace aoa truth be in my days?

had Ind the people away into cafttivj^, and stripped the hud, the Temple, A«. of all iheir richea: eeeDui. 1. 1—3.

Teree 19l Good is li^ word qfAaLoaa].Behas spokn righ^ / have done /eetiAljf, I aidimit tohie judg-

'''^ it not gpoL ^ peace'aiid tniffkbt {n my day 1 7} 1 believe Hexekiah inquires whedier there ahall he peace and tmth in his days 1 And the question seemB to be radier of an interested nature. Ue does not appear to deplore the - calamities that were coming on the land, provided peace and tnitli might prerail in hie days.

Verse 30. rest ^ftte orf»?/" ffeetioAJ Se« the pnllel places in Iswsh, and in 2 ChroniotBs. In this latter book, ehap. xxxii. we find serefal pvtieulara that are not inserted here; especially concerning hia pride, the in- Areaae of his riches, his storehouses of com, wine, and oil; nia atalla for all manner of beasts; his cities, flocka, and herds, in B)iundance; and the briniring the Ubper watereoorse of Oihra toAe west nde ta die flity at DavM, by which ha brought aplentUtil supplyttf watertato tbaiehy, Ao. &c. dbc

On the subject of the Babt/lonitm embaati/, I Oik^ say a few words. However we may endeavour to excuse Hezekiah, it is certain that he made an exhibition of his riches and power in a apir it of Kreax vanity; and that this M displease the Lord. It was also Riinous to Judeai when thoee foreigners had seen such a profhsion of weahh, siuh princely eatablidinwnt% and such a fruitful land, it was natural for them to conceiva the t»tsA that they had su^ treasures; and, from that, to emit the very treaatires they saw. They made dieir rejMirt to their king and eoantrymen; and the denre to possess the Jewish wealth became general: and, in coneeqaenee of this, there is little doubt that die eohqueat of Jerunlem was profeeted. Ui»- tMy la aot bHTen in such inatanoee: diBsnme kindof oaase faaa produced similar eAcu; take two or three iwUMe instances.

'When the baibarous GoA and Vandal nations saw the pleasant and frnithil plains and hills of Italy, and the vast treasures of the Romanpeopta^ the abundance of the necessaries, conveniences, comforts, and Inxnries of life, which met their eyes in every direction; they never were at rest till their swords put them in possession trf the whole, and faraught the mistress of the world- to irretrievaUe ruin!

Vortigerji, a British king, unhappily invited the Sar^ OHM, in w, to assist him against hia rebellioiia subjects; thev came; saw the land tlwl it was good, and in the end took possesaiDn of it [ having driven out, or into the moun* taina of Wales, alltM origiinl Britone.

The Oanes^ in the ninth ettUury, made some inroads into England, fbond the hmd better than their own, and never rwied liH they established themselves in this country) and, after having ruled it for a considerable time, were at last, with the utmost difficulty, driven out.

Hicse nations had only to <m S better land in order ts coettili and dieir arer/ion* were not wanting in order to peuem it.

How far other tntions, siaoe diose times, have imitated the most fooliah and impolitie eeaduet of the Jewish king, ntd how far their oooduct may have been, or may yet be, marked with the same eoiueqttenct*, the pages of impartial hiatory have shown, and will show: Gh>d's ways are all equal, saddle judgeof all die earth will do riefat. But we need not wonder, after this, that the Jewa MI into the hands of the Babylonians, for this was the politioal oonse- WMiee of thrir own conduct; nor could it be otherwise, the anomstanees of bodi nations considered, unless God, 1^ a miruuloasiDterporition, had saved them ] and this it was inconsistent with htajuatiee to do, because ther had, in their pride and vaniqr, offended against him. Tb be lifted up With pride and vain-i^ory, in the possesskm of any bleasinnttdM most diran^tobm Oiemiasittnim

20 \ ' And the rest of the acu of ^M.mt Hezekiah, aiid all his wight, and how (T**^ he f made a pool, and a conduit, and tfjboa ' broug;ht water into the city, are they_

21 And 'Hezekiah slept with bis ttwt fathers: and Maoasiehhia soarcicaed otxx. & in his stead. 'fL-f'Ali.''

Ood, who dispensed them for our benefit, to resuoae dtca; because, that which was Jeai^awi for our good, throag^ our own perveraity, beeomea our bai)e.

I have intimated in the note on ver. 11. that the Asdow waa brought back on the dial of Ahaz by means of r^Voclion. On this aubject some briber obeervations M be improper.

2. Any person may easilv convince himself of the eflm of Ttfractum by this simple experiment: — Place a vessel on the fiow, and put a piece of coin on the boitoai, eluae w that part of the vesael which ia/arA«H g^frdfc jfisMtlf;

ncit to yourself fairiy rovers the coin, aaa this it k bow entirdy out of sight. Stand exactlv in tbsc p'Hrtm, aad let a parson poor water gent^ into the vesael, and yen wil soon find the coin to reappear, and to be entirely in when the vessel ia fiUI; though neilba' it nor you faavs. chan^ your postti«is in the least.

By t)ie re&actii^ power of the atmosphere w* ban general minute* more of the solar light each d^ than we should' otherwise have. " The atmosjdiere refrasts dM sun'a raya so as to hriog him in si^t, every dear day, hefore ha riser in the honson; and to keep him in view far tome mmufeaoAer be ia really set below it. For, ai sons tiroes of the yoor, we see ihe sun Un minttUt kn^es Ao«s the horizon tltoA he would be if there were no r^raetiamot and above nx mfnides evety dny at a mean rale." Forguaan.

And it^ «ntn«1y owin^ to refraotioe dial «e have 017 morning or eventr^ twUt^ii; without this power in lbs atmoainiere, the heavens would be as blaeimM s&saiyindK absence of the sun; and, at his risMg; we sbAild pea ia a moment from the dMpesjdsnhsess into the irtgAte(%Afr and, at hia telling, from the most in/enoe Hgkl, to the mnl ^rqfottJtd dariaie*»; which, in a few days, wvald ba auffictent to destroy the visual organs of all dte anrml^ as air, earth, ot tea.

That the raya of light can be miptmatvraUy r^radtA, and the sun wpasr to be where he aebmUy is ws haaa a most remarkable instance from JCnIer. Some H^lsa* ders, who wintered in JVoes Ztuma, in- the not UMk were surprised to find that, after a continual night of thras monlhsj the sun began to rise swentem dayo sooner Asa (aocording to computation deduced troa the allhadsef the pole, obeerved to be atvtnty-oix degrtto) he-Aootd imm done; which can only be aeeouMsd iarbya mimeK sriy an KttraordttHtrjf rtfradUm ot Aha sun's rayi^ passing through the eold dense air k) diat eUiaaia. jUwaiiaas the sun, as Kepttr otmpatea, waa almost Jn« diwrom below the horizon when be appeared j and, eonseqaMSly, the refraction of his nys was slnut mans timtt acrsagar than it is wtdi m

3. Now, this night be all purelyaolanii; tbooab itms tttraordinary s uid it proves the pottikiMy ^ what 1 have conjectured, even on natural prineipitt; but Aa foreldUng of thii^ and leaving the going bodt^ or Joo* ward, to the ^%oiee of the kihg. and tlM thing oeeurrmg m the p/oce and Um» when and where it was pradined, riaosrs that it was supsmoturo/ aad mbroeulato, lhnii|Ji means w«re purely nofunU. Yet in that nlii— a thirt^-ont degrut fijty mteufas north, end ijom. 1 Jin dtgro€t litentv-Jive wimtUe* eatt, where s<yas prednee an extraorainaiyrefraetiott of dM aolar 1^1 1 not beexpeeted, the coIMtR^orwaducteg ibem Ai ' and aseer^oins die tniraete. **nui why eoMsad thing waa done by r^^aetiont could not 0«d as oomtf have oaused the sun (rather the tmrth) to turn 1 have prodooed this txtraordiawy aad BwraealQia r0h— tionr' I answer. Yea. But it is much men esnsHHat widi the wisdom and perfcctioDStrf fled, to peris— a waA or accomplish an end by timple Boeans, than hf these ikM are coMfdar; and, had it been dobe in ^ owrwam, to would nave required a miraele t« iisMri, and a miracfc m dtaw w perfcrauMl oo the altaotphtre, and without in the leut dliturbtDg even Mot; wbereao, on dto other nippofitioi^ it could not have been done without nupmdinf or Interrupting the taw nf tiu solar aytfem, and thii vithout ^ning a hair's breuldi in credibilitv or conviction more by luch stupendous interposiiioas than mis^t be effi»ted by the agencr of douda and vapour: The point to be gaimd was the bringing beck tiu ^ladaw on Uu dial Un degrees 1 this might have been gained by the means I have atre described, as well aa by the other; and these iMani, being much more nmple, were more worthy the <d(me choice than those which, are more eomptei, and could not have been used without prodocing the necessity of working at least double or treble miracles.

4. Before I proceed to the immediate object of inquiry, I ■hall bog leave to make some general obMrvations on tae 'iBvention and oooslniotian of dials in general.

Svmtus most have been of great antiquity, though the earliest we hear of is that of AJuiz: but this certainly was Hot the Jlrmt of its kind, though it is the first oo record. jUmz began his reign about /our hundrtd years before AlexBoder, and about todm years attar the foundation of Rome.

Anaxlmma. the KDerian, who flourished about./bur hamdred years Wore Christ, is said by i*/f ny to have been file first who made a sundial, the use of which he tau^t to die Spartans: but others give this honour to Thates, his oountrTnlai^ who flourished two hundreA years before

Ari»ttirdauy of Samoa, who lived before ArAimedtu, invanied a plain horizont^ disc^ with agnomon, to distlnguidi the hours; and l>ad its rim rusedall raun^ to vent the Aadaw from extending too &r.

Probably all diese were rude and eranesoeni attempts; far it does not appear that the Roman*, who borrOwea all their lowwledge from the Greeks, knew any thing of a ntndial before that set up by PapyrWa Cursor, about four ^hundred and stxfy years after the foundation of Rinae; before which time, says PliiVt tbers was no mention of •ny Meeoant of Hms out bf the riring and setting of the aun. This dial was erected near the temple of Qmrkiut, Vit ia allowed to have been very inaccurate. Abmt thirty rtars after, the eonsul Marcus Valerius Metsala, brought dial out of Sidly, which he placed on a pillar near the •fmirumy but, as it was not maoe for die latitude of Rome, It (Kd not ^ow the time exactly; however it was the onJy one they had for a hundred years, when Martius Fitiiippu» set np one more exact. Since thoaa times the science of iRaUing has been cultivated in most eivitized nations; tat we have no professed treatise on the subject before the thne of the Jeeuit Ctaviut, who, in the latter part of the oisteenlh. centunr, demonstiated both the tlieory and practice of dialling: tut he Ad this after the most rigid malhe- DMOfcol plineiples, so as to render that which was simple in iioelf exoeediiwir Aseoia. "nuMjEb we have usefol and eerract wwka m this kind from fiStard, D» Pareteur, Dum. Bedm de Cettss, JbscpA Blmiss uamter. Grave- •smf^ £TRersen, Martin, ana Tjeadbetler; yet, something more apecifie, more simple, and more general, is a desidenauin in the seienoe of seio^fca, or £alHng.

■Okmm matims on the nofttrs and struelun nf the sundial q/* A^axi v)iA a diagrams ita supposed fsrm.

5. When writiw on iktt mointment of SAta. to be king of Israel, chap, ix.7 was ■track with the manner in which Am eiibieet of the 13lh verse was understood by the Chal- ^mi "^Ven they hastened and took every raan his gar- ■^nt, sAd put it under him, on the tot the STAias Moonllns to the Hebrew, rtfffon b'u ^7 el gerem ha- Wtfltf"*^. which mi^ be translated, on Ihe bart [naked or fclstiin'iii a'O tt'P*- This the Targumist haa translated by imr Udir^ shadlya, "at die WKn-nwa." The gtber version^ knowing nothing of what wis intnded, IMM endeavouied to gutss, sevniallv, at a meaning. On I— nhig to diap. xx. II. where um same wonf mVpo MBltf"**, ■■ ueeo, and most evidentlT, there, implies some kind of Sundial, I fo«ad the Chaidse still more pointed, bath in t>nd in the pan^l place, Isa. xxxviiL 8. reodariMg tbe Hebrew worn iifm\m rrtia 6eAuraA eften ■*■«>". "by the rtwrfmi af ih> <to)ia of >mtr».-" ftwa »Uch I 'Msled toeonalndt that some kind of gnomonfo ggMii or mmdial was bUanded 1 end that die nours. or jlfiBkinc^of tnns, wore Aowa by a Aadow, vr^eetea on atmm gradually tuesndfngto a eertatn Mght. This HiM^iC I eoramunicaied to the Rev. PWIfp GmrOt, one <f Ibo p— *chwfs afiMngthe people called Methodists; of

< ran kaewladge in dw seieMW ot gnamemieg, and bi eaBstmotiiig every poasiU* viu^ of dbls, I • liliiliiiilili prafet aM raqtMKd hii^ from ilM pviae^ I M lud do«% to &7 iAmAmt feMh i& bi- strument could be constructed that might serve at oooa a* a public tnbunoL and as a dial, to ascertain all the e^uoiif iss ef the Jewieh divieion nf time 7

A more difficultproblem in the science he was neser called to solve. Though several had attempted to construct dials to show the mode by which different nntifm measured tim^ and among the rest the Jews i vet nothing properly saiisOkctoiy baa been produced, iJtnough one nearly in the same uina of outline with the [wesent may be foand in "Button's MalhemaUexd Recreation;" vol. iiL p. 337, projected on a plane superficite; which could not possibly wow the ososnt^ing and des^ttdiiuc o£ the shadow like that now before the reader, which the inganuiqr of the above gentleman has tirouglit to almost as great a degree of perlection as can reasonably be expected. And thai the dial of Ahazwaa constructed m-o. sinular principle there can be but little doubt, as the words of the original seem to express this and no other form; and so the Oialdee appears to have understood it: nor is it eaqr to conceive, tluu one on any other principle could ascertain, in all seasons, the varying admeasttreBoent of the Jewish time.

6. Having said thus much relative to the circumslaneee wh^sh gave nirth to this dial, it may be deemed Dscessaiy to give ajfeoeral view of the natural and artificial divi '

The most obvious divtMum qf time is, into (fay and night i these are marked out bv uie rising and eeitmg of the sun. Modem writers call the time mun sunrise to sunset, (he naluraJ ifay; the night is the time from sunset to sunrise i these days and night* are sidqect to great inequdilieB in every part of the eertlL except under the equator. The most aneieot division of dks e^iuorial dar was into the morning and evening; the ni^t was dividsd into watches.

Sours are either eipial or unequal: an luuouoZ hour ie the twefth part of a natural day, or the imlflK part of the night In Cramer, when the days are ths longest, the diurnal hours ate the longest, and the nocturnal houn shortest: in i^nttr, on the eontraty. whan the d^ are shortest, the hours of the dayare uie Aortesl, and iho hours <n the night longest. The difference between the hours of the day and those of the ni^ is greatest A the solstices, because then there is the greatest inequality between die Imgth 01 the d^ and that of the night. At die eginoxes, when the days and nights are of on equal leDgtl^ all hotirs, both of days and nights, are equal

"nta ancient Jeue made use of unequal houn i win them, sunrise wa« the bf^inning of the Jiret hour of iba day; noon was the end of tl^ sixth hour; and the twelfA hour ended at suneeL

Doctor /lOng obeerveo, "TheMltmesmightbemeaeured by an astronomer j but how unequal hours can be marked for common use is not easy to say." He fiirtber observe^ "That the ancients had tundialtt but I think une^uN hours could not be mailMd thereon exacUr." And, in ■ note on this observation, he remarks^ " Hie sundlws a^ the ancients, to show unequal hours, were not made in the method used at present, with agnomon parallel to the axis of the earth j but had a jnn set upnght upoa a plauv rounded at the upper end, the shadow whereof mailced their unequal hours in the following manner: by meana of an anwrnmo, or pcojeetimi of the aiAiere, rix eurvee were drawn upra the phuM, to dtow where Ibe dwdaw ^ the pin at the several hours terminated every month in the year; one eiirve served for two months, because the shadows are of the same length in January as December, in Pebniaiy as in November, in March as In October, dtci each curve was drawn long enough to take in all the houn of the longest day in tlw respective months, and waa divided into twelve equal parts. It is easy to see that a dial made by this metliod, in order to show the unequal houn exactly, ou^U to have half as many curves (or parallel lines,) as there are days in ine year: tHit this would require so many lines, as would make it all confusion; it is possible they had only one line for a month, and that for tha middle of the month."

The Doctor is perfectly correct in observing, "Hint the sontlMda of the ancient^ to diow unequal bourse were not nuide in die method used at preeent, wUh a gntnoon pnrallel to die azia of the earth;" becaose such a dial ecnU not be of any use to those nations whose divisions of the solar hours were unequal, or man or less than eixtj/ minutes to an hour. But the Doctor is mistaken in supposing die difficulty, or raihar impossibility, of conitruelin( a suidlal to diowdwie uns^twu hours; for devsn Unw are all dial is neoe«nry to sbov die houn for sMry da(y i«

■m Donriw to riiov iriun tha ihadow of die MOTitfA At die serenl hours terminatBd. Hia di&l would; tfaerabre, nquin above otu hundrtd and tighty parallel linea, and nearly derm hundred marka for toe Aoure only; but if the qnartera are ineerted, /our Qunuand Jour hundred marks would be neoeMary. This would require the labour of nx or eteM monUiM, whereas the plaa here adopted would not reqiare, in iia caleulatione and oonstruetion, ai many houra.

7. Adtaeriptioni^tiudiaL — This dial consiaU of elcrm placed parallel to the borizoii, with a pemmdiculaT gnomon, fixed in the upper or middle step^ wnidi step is plamd exactly norA ana whM, and forma the meruiaan, Of sixth-hour line.

All the operations of this dial are deMrmined fay the Tpaint of the shadow pn^ted from du gnomon on the MnMof the diaL

Every day, for rnon^it, the shadow from die point of dM gnomon makes a d^eraU angle with the gnomon, which makes the hours orone day to difler in length from die hoars of the precadtng and following dajrs. The same vboermtions i^ply to the odier six montna in the year.

Each day in the year consists of fwefaw houra from the time of sunrise to sunset; which makes a dimrenee of tvtaiitff minutes between an hour in the lonffest day and an hitmr la the ahortest. The longest day, conaisting of twiet hours of seventy minutes to aa hour; and the uiortest of ftealM houra mjtfty minutes to an hour; but, when the sun eqten ArUMt or Libra, each hour consists of aixty Bumnes.

' To be able to understand this dial one example will be ■nfficieot: on the 21et of March, or the 23d of September, the shadow from die point of the gnomon will enter or atemd the jlrsf step of the dial, at the first hour of the day, at the ipat side of the dial on the equinoctial line; lieetn minutes afterward, the shadow comes in oontact with the circle marked j(flten degree^ whieh is the altitude of the son at that time; twenty-four minutes afterward, the Aadow touches the shadow of twenty decrees; and, m twaty-five minutes, it ascends the seeoM Hep, at the eeeond hour of the day, when the altitude of the sun is tw«nt}/-fite degrees eight minutes.

In tieenty-four ininutes the shadow come* to the circle of thirty degrees; and t-aenty-fiee minutes after, it arrives at the circle of thirtv-Jlve degrees; and in eteeen minutes it ascends the third step, at the third hour of the day, when the altitude is Vurty-eix degraea Jt/iy-teeen jamntea. In aixteen minutes the point of the shadow intersects the circle otjbrty degrees; and in /orty-/our minutes it ascends the fourth step, at the fourth hour of the d^, when the altitude of the sun is f»rlg-tt»m. degrees twnty-two minutes; and in eighteen minutes of tine, it oomes in contact with the cirole of fifty de^pvea, &c. oc. imtil it arrives at the meridian ttop, or line, at the tixth hour of the day, when the altitude is fifty-eight d^rees ten minutes: tiien the shadow tfescewfs tbe sirCh step, and moves on to die ntenth, Ac. deacending etep after ttep, tracing the eqohioetial line on the sosl side of die dial; inlerseetiiig the etope, or iUgh line*, and du eirdee of altitude, until it Irnvaa the dial at the eleventh hour of the tlay.

A dial of this construction is the most simple, useftil, and durable, diat can be made; and ia exclusively ana oompletelr adapted to aseeitain the ancient Jewiid) diviaiona of the sofar hours.

Tlie steps of thta dial render the construction a little more £Bicalt than it otherwise would be if the lines were drawn on a plane superficies, vdiich would give exactly the same divisions of the hours.

N. B. A vertieal eouth diaL in laL &iriy-one degrees fifty minutes, die latitude of Jerusalem, could be of little or no uae to ascertain these divisions for several months in the year. "Hie aame remark may be made respecting a wntk vertiecl concave dial. The sun cannot atiiw upon a aoadi verdeal plane, in laL tiUrty-one degrees fifty min- Utos in die longest day, before ^^ty-three minutes past si^i^ or nearly nine in the morning.

With reapect to the dimenaions of thia dial, if we suppose die height of the stile from die bottom « die tmoeet step to be fota-feet, this would allow Kr inches for the thioknett of each step, and ttsslpe inches for die height of the sftts above the upper step. According to this scale, tbesoHttend of the dial would befsn yarda; the nor^ end, eiriem yard*; and the east and tMSt sides, tight yardt two fSeL The groond-woA mi^ besZrtton yards by twelve, making an oblong squarth fiwioff ma four nrdinal points of the beaveoa.

llie Itnea i^ch show die hours from sMifrfM to (ba mo- Hdian, are on die west side of the dial-plane t and dieliass which show die hours from the meridian to aunatl, are oa die eati aide of the di&l -plane; the touthem tropic, Capricorn, ia on the north end of the dial-plane; and the norCfcem tropic, Cancer, is on the eouth end of the plane.

The norrov end of the dial looks toward the sowlik, oal ia marked the nortft; the vide end looks north, and io marked south; die side which looks vest, is marked siMriae; and the side which looks east, is marked stumt e. In the annexed diagram, a transverse section of A* dial is represented, where the ttcp* are seen at one view, aeeeiuUng and <feseen<ting' to and,^-om the gnomon, or stile, on the upper or sixth step. These steps an all e^oal in dieir heif^t, but onequal on dieir upper surfece, as the diagram shows, and for the reasons alleged above. Each of theee steps might have been divided into parts oc degrees, to mark the smaller divisions of time; and to this son of division there appears to be a reference in the (exi, where it ia said, the madow went back ten degreet. It seems the miracle was wrought in the tifUmotm, fiv it is said. The thadow woe brought ten degreee aaccwAxi^ 6y«fttGftftAa(f eOmnowK} aoit^fpeanthanbedndow bad reasoended ten degrees on the afternoon st^; and when this was done, so that all were liilly convinced id the miracle, the ahaZdow again descended to iu tnu ptoos on the steps; and this would be die immediate cooee quence of aissipating die vuMurs which X have WMOOid to be die agpnt which Qod em{d(7*d to pradnee r»- fraction thia moot extraordinary ^wnomeooo.

A dial coostTUOtedin this way, m the coUreo^tf hmm, or some jnMie place, would serve not only to give the dSetnoR« Hme, but also as a place from wfaicnproc/aaw^ tion« might be made; and espedaily from the i^pporwt^ where thie speaker mig^t stand by the gnomau, and n sufficiently elevated above the crowd below.

On sudn a place I have supposed Jehu to have been proclaimed king; and, to do him honour, his "f™ wprmad their garment* on the etep* j the firet, eeeand, Odrd^ fourth, and ^Ih, by whieh he ascended to the sim etep, on which the gnomon was placed, and where he was proclaimed and acknowledged the king of Israel: lor u is ■aid, the captain* haeted, and looJe every man JUs «a»- MCiTT, and put it untfer kim on tk« top of Ac watm, and blow wttk trumpets, saying, Jmm is Hm I 2 E^igi ix. 13. where see the note.

9. JPieiro Nonius, or A^unn^z, a celelmed Ponagneoa mathematician, ^liout the middle of die sixteenik eemury, proved diat the shadow on a stile in • aundial »dgkt n bac/heard tfitAout anUradti udiich was Anindad « Oo fbllowiiv theorem:

'Hiia gave nae to the denonstAtiiw that a dial mi^ be constructed for any latitude on which the shadow almO rslrogrotis, or go baekuard. And it is effected in d» following manner i

IneUna a plane turned direedy south, in audia twaMsr that its tenith mav foil between the tropic and equator; and nearly about the middle of the distance betweea ifasae two circles. lo the latitude of London, for esuuK which ia fifty^one degrees, thirty-one mioiites, tfas bum must make an angle of about thirty-sigkt dagreeo. u iho middle of the plue fix an upright sule, of uch a lisigih that ita shadow shall go bey<M)d tlw plane; and, if saiiiai angular lines be then drawn from the bottom of tho aiila toward die soutA, about the time of the so^sfus, tb« Aodsv will retrograde twice in the course of the day, as mmtioned ^ve. Hut is evident, sinoa the idana is bmIU to die horizontal platMs having its miitb onder im saas meridian, at die distaaeooif twelve degfoas from dw e^sftr tor, toward die norA: the shadows « the two alilaa mas^ consequently, move in the nun* raaoner in both. ' unholy use: contendiiw diat what the Holy Sarin—— consider to be a mirocM in tha onae of the reimodUMm of the shadow on die dial of AhoL was ihs sibet «f k. mere natumt catue, without any dung miiseutons in St. On diis subjest Dr. Button vary promrly toaatei ** k is very inmrobable, if die rsingradatwairtueh Msk plM« on the dial of that priooe had been a natorol ofiot, oat ft should not have been observed till the proplnt wmaoomBmA it to him as the sign of his cure t for, in diat OMe, H mmm have alwayi occurred when the sun was btWDsa mo trepan and die unidi." Button's Matlwnwtinnl "

Am eoHlnioted, dw •Aol miHt ten Inth gmnllj kMnrnt «ik) Heiekiafa would never imve taken tmt fom minele which he and all hh counien noit have oheervcd aa an oceunrence which, at particular weaMoam, took place twice every d». And, that the matter waa known pub- Ikily to have been a mirade, we learn from thii circum- ■taneej ihatMerodach-baladan, king of Babylon, aeot hii ■mbawndow to Jawaalem, to inqutrt nfttr the vender SuU WM dsM Ai (mil, u well after WmUiUu aitioo is to obviooh that infideli^ mun be driven to pitifti] shifti when it ie obliged to luve recourae to the ineinuattOD of impoeUire, in a coae where the mireculous interferenee at Godiseoitrikinglyevident. Besidefl,«iicb a dial could cot be conitructed for (he latitude of JeruMleai without having tho north end elevated tweniy decreet «ewn nunutee: which oould not be uaed for tlw pnrpoM which it indicMed in the text. 8e8No.3.rfthepr«9ediivobMn«tiaDs.

2 And he did (Aot ■wMch vxu evil m the Bigtit of the Lord, "after the abomioatioiu of the heathao, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Iwael.

3 For he built up arain the high places * which Hezekiah his father Bad destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, <' as did Ahao Idng of Israel; and * wotsfiirpea all the host of heaven, and served them.

4 Ajid ' he buHi attars ia. the house 6f 4he LoBD, of which tha Lobd said, '* lo Jerusalem will I put mr name. ^..

6 AAd he built altars for all l^iehost of hearea in tiistwo courts of the houfie «f the Lobv. 'b.^S' ^ ''And he made his son pass nlbufri through the fire, and observed ■ times, and used encbantinents, and dealt _ with fiuniliar spirits qad wizards: he. it much wickedness in tbe sight of the to provoke him to anger. ~" 7 And he set a grave A image of the grove that he had made in the house, g. of whidi the Lobo said to Pavid, and ■ to Solomon his son, * M this liousef and iAc Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of

T«r« 1. JUaiuutth tM* twtht yeorf old]!]■ wu bom dnut three yean after hia father's Mfirecidaus core; he was carried captive lo Babylon; repeiMd; was jreilored to Ml kingdom; put down idolatry; a«d dfej at ttie afe of sixl^aevm yea™ t see 2 Chron. xxziiL 1—*). '•

VerM 2. 4/ter the abcminatioiu qf (« AaiJA«a) Be •zaetly copied the conduct of those nationlwhtch Qnd h«d out odt of that land.

Vtrm 3. Made a grove] He made AAerSk, th«J3&b»- lonian MftliUa, or Roman Fcmw see chap. ^t'u. |D. aid the obNrvatuns at tbs end of that ehaptsr; aadstt here on ver. 7.

WorAiyp«daUQuhottf(f heaven] All the • fir> aad statute} butportieulsrly the mm and ths tnoon. VerM 4. BwUt t^rt] He placed

Obemied lim««])»r< veanens he [MctiMcl dlvino- Non by ibe tbnide; by obaerving their omme at paitievlar tinil^ their diffteent kuida, eootraiy dtasaliHMi, 1^ 1hiA*ndtaitimeni»1 -rro w tucfcwft fhs naed inean-

\ familiar epirit9'\ aw rwp:* 'oe&edt ol»; be waa a ntcromanoer; was a raiser of spirft^ whom fie andesTOured to press into his service: heood a PjtfAon.

Andinxarde] it'iyrtveijpdecnim: (be knowing otue, dwwftflnwiMe^ and such like: •ft'OiLeT. xiz.a6— 31. idwre MM itf these terms are pAliealarly ezplaiosd and mastraHd.

Ters^T. Be eti a graten 4mnge of ike grove that he had mttde in the houee] Eierj one may sea that AAerOn here mast signify en uioi, ana not a grate; and, for die proof orthis, see the t^taarvations at toe end of the Chapter.

Versa 8. Neither ttiU J make Uuftet ijf Anul] Had tbey bem.Wthfol id God's teHiniOniee, thmr never had ■one idlt i^qrtivi^; nod -should, even at this dqr^ ian Been in*oi>ewiao of Qie promised land.

Terss^. Seducad Qtem to do more essO He did all he eonld to pervert the whole naUoasl obaracter } and totally todeatnythewordiipof tbstnieGodi and he succeeded.

VerH 10. The Im» epake' by— the pmpAete] The pro|dteti weraBlaea, Joel, Nalnua,llaliakkuk, and Isaiah. These ftvs mlowiog verses eootaio die sum of what these prophets spoke. It is aud that Isaiah not onhr pn^Msieain dtosedajn^ but also that he was put to deata ■7 HsDSSiriH beiqt sornt dwadsr by a waodnt soia

8 I Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land wiiich I g^ve their fatl lers: only if they will t^iserve to ao according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that wy servant Mosea comnumded tt^em.

9 But they hearkened not: and Manasseh * seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.

10 ^ And the Loan spake by his servants the prophets, sayings

11 "Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, ' arta hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and p hath made Judah also to sia with his idols:

12 Therefore thus saith the Loan €>od of Isr^l, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jemsuem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of H, both ' his ew0 shall tingle.

13 And I win stretch over Jerusalem * the Uiw of Samaria, and the nlummet of the hoose of Ahab: andlwiUwipeJeruMdemasamanwipeth A dish, ^ wiping ii, and tumc% it upside down.

14 And I wul fbfisake the renuant of mkis in- &Titanee,»wl delirer tbean into the hand or 4ieir eaenies; and they shall bicome a fireynd a spoil to bA their eoemies; '

15 Becuise they liave d4ne that w&u^ (mm ef 11 in diy sight, and have provoked me lo Vikv, wnce the day their fkthera came fivth *^ <>■ Ecyptf even nnto this day.

Terse 12. Both Mt ^re Aatt ^afin] nfrm Htrnhmtt somediitag expressive cf the sounH m what ve«d|, a*si the suae sensation, thd tinging «f tbe eara. Ivis it dn eoBsequeaoe of baviqg the ears Snddenty piesMd wtfi a loud and ehriU lufieej the ears seem to riw^ for snae time tbtr. -Hie provbets spoke to them velunMatiy; M tbatAnssund seemed to be contitAied eveitwhenthryhsd leAoffspo^iw. T1mwasJtEaitbAlandJK>feIDI>tsstiBe■q^

JbutthtptummettiflthehetueifAJuiS] llw^aMrf Almb^M-MnATy destr^ed, and ntta maaof hisTSeiM 40 Bit upoBxhe throne di maeli 4o shall it be dotie to ifec hsuae orvoyal &mit]r.*f Judah; tliey shall bealltflBlly destroyed,' a*d DotAmUt of iheir race sh&ll any'aWxt at ■OD ths4hrpiM of Judab i nor ahal^ Judah have a Anai M Bit on. 'ifyiM fetasalftp shall h^ve the same iptif^ as weUasltdRiiJTbave the same meojtirs of Samaria, bccliass ftbBs oopied aU (IwaboiiiiDatiMM i^iidt bsot^ diBk laogdom to wtid destfuctkn.

/isiU wtpe JmtsslMi as a m*n wtprffc • «K«ik1 Its Vulgate traiulatea tkia clause as f<31owB; Deiebo lent, eiciU dderi eolent talnUa! "f will blot out JbwalemastaUeaaiewonttDbsblotleAouL" ThistaaiMphor taken from tbe aoeieafme4nd-of writing; Aeymud their letters with a stile on WtAi^ tbioljr spnad OTV «iA w«x; for diia porpoa one epd-of Vm stile was rifcso^Aa other end blunt ajwl uaoow, with which they eoutl nb «a what tiey bad written, ajid bo' smooth the plsB^ssd spread batfe ute wax so as to usMr it capable oc reeciriac this out: and the Holy Jeruaalem, tbe eitf «t As Ore&t King, ia no longer to be found J This doiAls on sf the stile is pointed out in this aneieDt migwia;

Om (Dd dMnsT* lb* aOm Md tat But the idea of emptyingoutt and wiping a diak-exftmrn the ssBM meaninv equaUy wsU. Jerusaleai sbaJl be ea^ tied of all its wealth, aod of all its inbabitaBt^ as traK la a dish turned wis emptM of all its emtentsi aadttMC

10 ■ Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem ^frorn one end to another; besides his sin wherewith he made Jodah to sin, in doinf thai wAtcft vat evil iathe sirht of the Lobo.

17 11 Now * the rest of the acta of Manasseh, and all that he did, and bis sin that he daoed, are they not written in the book of the Chronieles of the kines of Jodah 1

otjEjuur. I thers, and was buried in the sarden of M^ii% £ his own house, in the garden of Uzza: ~ and Amon his son reigned in hia stead. 19 IT 'Amon tea* twenty and two Tears old when he began to reign, and ne reigned two years in Jerusalem.

20 And he did^Aot v>hich teas evil in the sight of the Lord, * aa his father Monaes^ did.

SI And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the iaols that his fiither served, and worshipped them:

22 And he ' forsook the Lord God of his facers, and walked not in the way of the Lord.

B awu *3 T "And the servants of Amon Axihcii^ eoDaj>ired against him, and slew the uu, R^R^ king in his own house.

01 And the people of the land slew

b» tumtd tip&ide down, never to be filled again. Thii is true from tmc linw to tba preseot hour. Jenuslem is tbe dMtartud wnd* domti the tabUt blotted ou^ lotlte yrassst <UyI How grest are Ood's mwoieal sad bow Unible lUa jodgmenla I

Terse 11. / wiU fortakt the remnant my inherit- •mm] One pert, (the Un MA«,) was already foraaken, sad earned into captivity; the remnant, (the tribe tif Jitd»h,) was DOW about to be foraaken.

Vena 16. Sh^d inrueeni blood pny nwcft] Like the deities he wordtipfied, bs waajCeret and enwr so obwineipled, roenilesa ^imxai be dew innonent people and Ood's prapheta.

w^ frtten, and took him to Babyloat that there he repented, sou^t Ood, and waa, we are not told how, reatored to hia Uogdom; that he fortified theoity of David; deatrored idolatry; restored the worahip of the tnia God, and died in peace.

Ib 2 Chron. zxziiL 18, 19, hie prayer unto Ood ia partieiilarly mentioned. What ia called his prayer, is found ia the Aaoaypka, juat before tba fim book of the JUaeflOtMB^^There are some good aenttmenls in it { but whether it be diet which waa made by Manasaeh, is more than ean be proved. Even the Ronuu churoh has notreoeived it among (be oaiKMiieal books.

Are iKay not vritten] There are aeveral particulars ■eCarred to here, and in 2 Chron. cbxp. nuoii. which are not Sound in any dironiolea or books which dow remain; ■ni irtiat the besAs of As Msr* wen, (meotianed in ChrODkj«%) weeannotteO.

Verae 18. In the gartUn qf hie own HoumJ It was, probablv, a burying-ploce made for hia own fiunily; for Amon, his SOD, is said to be buried in the same place, ver. 26.

Verae 19. He reigned two yoare in Jerutaiem'] The raawrk of the rabbins is not wholly -Without foundation: — That the eons of thoae kings who ware idolater^ and wbo ironed ml their fiuhera, seldom reigned more than tw mars. So ATodaft, the son of Jwoboam, 1 Eiaga xv. 2S. i SloA, the aon of Baa^ 1 Kings xvi. 8i iA«siat, the soai of Ahata^ I KinxaxziL 61; and Aown, the aon cf lla. iMSsrh. as menticmed here, ver. 19.

Verse 23. Hu eerranie <f Amon eon»piredl What Oieir reason was for slaying ineir king we cannot tell. It does not seem to havs been a popubrMt,finrtbe people trf da lead rossnp and slaw tbsr^gisfdaa. Wsbearenou^ of tUs man msn «s bear that tw was as bad as his firiner waa in the begimung of hia reign, but did not eopy bis Auher's repentsnos.

It isMMiver, 3and7. tbat**]lanaasdi saadeagnnei asid bs Ht a graven image of tba grove," Ao. hm am nry *wm mvNn Sdb vayaaem et-peetl ha-otKenh, aeket SoAt "And ha put the gnvea Imafleof Aah«mA,~ which ha had sumIb," into ibe hotMS.

all them thai had consj^ed against Kii^ Amon; and the p«opte of the land made Joeiaa bis son king in his stead.,

25 H Now the rest of the acts of r^Smr Amon which he did, are they not writ- "-.^S* teninthebookoftbeChTonicleaoithe olk^ivm. kings of Judah 7 „ „

26 And he was buried in his se- lia l? pulchre in the garden of Uzza: and

JOSIAH ^ waa dght years old niien *■ JtS" he began to reign, and he reisned B.aan thirty.T.nH one years in Jerusalem, olxxuv.i.- And hia mother'a najoe was Jedidah,, the AvogbtKf at Adaieih of * Boscath.

2 And tie did that tfftt'cft v>m right in the sight ol' ihc L-^itn, tuid waflEed in all the we^ of David bis lathi?r, nnd ' Lulled not aside to the right

3 1[ 'And it came to pass in the ^^^'S. eighteenth year of King Josiah, that a- ^omLi. the king sent Sbaphan the eon of uCavktaSl Azaliahr the eon ol Meshtdlam, the _f:! scribe, to the hiiuee of the Lord, saying,

R. S. Jardid, on Oen. xii. 3. says, " that mvN oaAeniA, roeani a /re^ which was worshipped by the Oentiless" like as the oak was worahipped by ttais ancient Dniids in Britain.

Ca^eL to Lex. Hept suB voce VK defines rrwN osAerah, thus, SimulaArum Ugneum Astartn dieaium; **k wooden image, dedicated to Aetarte, or Venue."

The Septaagint render the words by oXm;; and FTamminitu Nobilie, on 2 Kings xziiL 4. aaya, Aurwt notat TVuodoreiue re oXees eeee Aetartem et I F^snsrent, et ab aliia interjtrilibue dictum Athtaroth: i. e. "Agnia, TTuoiortt flfaaenre^aXraf ia Jjfairle and Vaaui and other inlerivelen called Ailaanrih."

Tnt ToTgum of Bm Vtxiel, on DeoL vii. B. ammnn pp-un va-oMejp-diem tegediun;*.«." Their groves shall be cut down" — translotea the place thus impn)in>Tj<D ^]y<m ve-eUaney aigedej^um hak aieetntn; "And the ooka of their adoration shall ve cut down."

From the above it u pretPr evident that idole, not grovm^ ore generally intended where n-WK oafteroA, and ita aerivatives, are uaed.

In chap. zxiu. 6. it is said. "HuU Joaiah brought out the grove from the house of the Lord." This translation seems veryabsurd; for what grote could there be in the temple 1 There was none planted there, nor was there room for any. Hie plain meaning of mv rvM vnmcn f\n va-yotee el ha-aAerah mioM/th yeAosoA, ia, "And lie brought out the ^^d«a^ Amrahf firom me bouse of the Lord, and burnt it," &e.

That this is the tnie meaning of the place appearafiirlher from ver. 7. where it is said. ' He broke down the housea of the sodomites:' (B->vipnAaA#«feahtin,of the wAormongars) 'wheretbewomenwovehangingsfortheKTOve.' mvitS t^ns AdUtmia-oaWa, "houses or shnnes for 4ahcra&.' Similar, perhi^ to thoae which the eilveramitba made for Diana, Actaxix.24. ItisradwrabauidtosapposetluuibewDmBn were eimtlajred hi making eurtains to eneompaaa a grose.

The Syrtae and Arabic versions countenance the interpretation I have given above. In ver. 6. the former aays, " He caat out the idol dee/dotho, from the bouse <rf the Lord." And in ver. 7. "He threw down the bowes, Wtt daxoine, of the proatitutea t and the women wbo wove garments I61a>^ lededUotho, for the idols which weiet&acs.** The Arafrfo is enody the smos^

From dw whole, it is evident that Adiaiah was no other than Venae / the nature of whose warship is plain enough, frcMn the menbon of v/toremongert and jnviHiutea.

1 deny not that there were groves cooseenoed to idolatroaswtmhip among the Gteualeat but I am sure that ao^ are not intended in rae above cited passagea i and (he text, in most nlaoe^ reeds better when undentood in this war. ITOTES ON CHAPTER XXn.

TerseL JbafoA was aigJU wars oirf] Hewaaoneof the baa^ if not the bsal, of all IJM Jewish kiMi siacs dM tins of David. Be bagan well, eonti^^ well; and ended well.

4 Oo tip to HiSdah the h^b priest, that he may mim the niver whkh ia ■'brought mto the house of the Lord, which < the keepers of the ^ door have ^theren of the people:

5 And let them i deliver it into the band of the doera of the work, that have the orersiffht of the house of the Lokd; and let them five it to the doers of Iho work which ia in the nouse of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house.

6 Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the

7 Howbeit " there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because Uiey dealt faithfully.

8 T And Hilkiah the high jH-iest said unto Shapnaa the scribe, " I have found the book of the avr in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, vndtutmsht tine king word again, and said. Thy servants have "gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the orersixht of the houee of the Loan.

10 And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

1 1 And it came to pass, when the king bad beard the words of the book of the law, that he rent hfs clothes.

13 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and p Achbor the son of ^Michsiiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asafaiah a servaoti^ the king's,

V«ne 4. That lu mag turn Uu aOvtrl As Joiitdi begin to seek the Lwd as soon as he b^an to rrign, we may naturally conclude that the wondiip of God that was negleetad and sup[Mcssed by hia latner, was immediately reatored; and (hepeople began their accuetomed offerlnga to the temple. Ivn yeara, therefore, had elapsed since dieseOfferinga began; no one had, m yet, taken account of them; nor were they sfplied to the uae for which they were given, aiar. the repairing the breaebes of the temple.

TeneS. IhavjfimadAt book^ Oalaw] Waatbia the autograph, of Moaea 1 It ia very probable that it waa, Cor in the parallel place, 2 Ghron. zzxir. 14. it ia aaid to be the book of Ou lav if the Lord by Mbaet. It ia eappoaed to be that port of Deut. ehapa. jtrriii. zxix. xjcx. and xzxi. which eontaina the renewing of die eovenam in lim plains of Moab; and which contains the most terriUe invaetivea against the oorraptera of Ood's words and wor-

The raMnns say that Ahaz, Manaiseh, and Amon, endeavoured to destroy all the eopin of the law; and this mly waa saved by having been buried under a pavingstone. It ia scarcely reasonable to suppose that tfais was the cnhf copy of the law was found in Judea; for, even if^ we grant that Ahaz, Hanaaseh, and Amon, had flndsavoored lo destroy all books of the hw, yet they eoald not have auMeeded so as to destroy the whole. Besides^ Hanaaseh andeavoured, after his eoomraion, to restore every part of the divine worship; and, in this, he eoold bBvo done nothing without the Pentateuch: and the sofleeeding reign of Amon waa too short (o give him opportunitv to undo every thing thst his penitent ^tber had reformed. Add to all these eonaideratitms dia^ in die time of Jdtodiaphat, teaching from the law waa mivtrtal in the land, fiM- be set on foot an itinerant mtoi^ry. In order to inatruet tbs people fiillvi for, "he senflo his princes to tsaeb in the cities of Ju<uh i and with them he sent Levites and prieata; and they went about through all the dtiaa of Judah, and taught the people having the book of the law of the Lord wim them; see 2 Chron. xvii. 7—9. And if there be any diing wanting to show the improbabiUqr of the thing, it must be thta, (hat Uta transactions OMnlioned hsra tm* plane in tfaa s^AtsMlft year of the Mign of Josiaht iriw had, fWmt the tiine haoama lo the ibnoBj employed himsslf in the restoiation of the pure wonJup of God: and it ia net likely tl^ during time jrisfaiean jrears, lie waa without a copy of the FMtaleiich. Tba rimpl* fiwt sssm to ba ttii^ that iMa waa ihs original

the people, and for all Judah, cooeerning the words of tbifl book that is foond: for great it ' the wrath of the Lord Uiat is kindled against oi,' because our fathers have not hearkened onto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written ccmeerning us.

14 So Hilkiah the priest, ana Ahftam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went onto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallun tin son of • Tikvah, the son of ' Harhas, keeper of the " wardrobe: (now she dwelt in Jarnealem * in the coUege;) and they eommuned with her.

15 IF And me said unto them, Thus saith the Lord Qod of Israel, Teii the man that sent ym to me,

16 Thus aaith the hcam, Behoid, • I will brng evil uponthia place, and upon the inhabitanta thereof, even all the words of the boirit whkb the kingr of iudah halh read:

17 ■ Becanse they have forsaken me, and bate burned incense unto other gods, that they migfat provoke me to anger with all the works of titw hands; therefore my wrath shall be kiadlei against this place, and sh^ not be auenehed.

18 But to " the king of Judah which sent yoa to inquire of the Loan, thus shall ye say to urn. Thus saith the Lord God of Isra^, Am toticfcwg the words which thou hast heard;

19 Because thine * heart was tender, and thoe hast 'humUed thyself before the Loan, wbco thou heardett what I spake neainst this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that tb^ should become * a desolation and ' a corse, am hast rent thy clothes, and wept befcre mc; 1 also have heard thee, saith the Loan.

80 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou <* ehalt be gathend into

of the eoveaaol renewed by Moaas with the people ia Ae plains of Moob, and which 1» ordered to be Md up benfc the ark, DeuL xxxi. 70. And now, being unexpeckdly found, ita antiguUy, the oeeation. of its being made, da present eirainutances of the people, the impend «bK ia which the reformation was, aa yet, after all that hod bM done, would all concur to prodoee ibeefieet here mealiaaa^ on the mind of the pious Jooiib.

Verse 14. WaU unto ^Odak At pnpMtm} TUs is a moat singular cireumatasee: at this time Jaramiak vaa certainly a prophet in Inael; but it is likely ha BMrdmk at Anatttath, and could not be reedily eonaolied. Ztpktniah alao prophesied under thia reign; bat, probably, be had not yet begun. Bttkiah waa lUgh prieat; and tba prieat's hps should retain knowledge. ShaiAm wm scribo, and must have been ccmveraant in aaerea afsir^ to hsLV« been at all fit for his office: and yet AtUa^ a |s» phetea% of whom wa know nothing, but by this eiresn- Btance, is eonsafted on the meaning of thebookoftbelawl for the secret of the Lord was neither with fiUbiok the high priest, Shaphan the scribe, or any other ef the mr- VOTita <if Uu king, or minUtonoi the Umpiel We tad frtMn thi% and we nave many foeta in alt ages to eomborate it, Aat a pontii^ a pope, a tuahop, or a prie«, ra^, ia some eaaea, not possess the titie knowledsa of God: ni that a simple woman, posssaalng the tifaof Oad in hstaan^ may have more knowMga of the divine taatfanonies Aaa many of those wboaeoffiee It la to explain and csifMve than.

On thia subject Dr. Priestln, in bis note^ makeo the Mlowiiig very judicious remaHt!— "Itplaaaod God tadistinguub aeveral women widi die spirit of jtrophe^, aawd as other great attainments, to show that in lua tap*, ar* eapeeially in things of aaptrfftwfnofurtuthereiaiwsaH tial pi«-«ininenea In tha male aex. thonpt in aov *^ die female be snbieet to the mala."

Verse 17. Afy vntth skott 64 kindladi Thedtoee js gone fordi | Jerusalem afaall be delivered iolo the bands of lis wemiea; d»e people will rowltmoraaBdaaasi* Inward dwmlatMr-aufoiieiaaaelaasi dMwptf 4<^,6sd<t lcindUd,mi^aaiiolbe^uenAtd. Tids wasa dnsdM messagSL

Versa 19. Bs«twl&{n«A«ar<aiatfeRcIer] BgaanaaAsa hast feared Uk Lord, and tranbM at hia word, and hn« wapt before me, I have heard tfaee, so far that laeas trnm ahall not oome upon the land in thy lifttima. ' thy grave in peace; and Uumeyes shaH not see adf tne evil which I wUI brine ripon thie jHace. And Uiey brought the kin^ word again.

kta bb braSiT, oalU alM J^aUklm, nitda kidflnMa aaad: iha land li laid MtentaMbrUMUotiif Errpt,>iidMMlaklani|wvMad&,9-».

ViSffi^'^ A • Wng. seat, and they ga- ^ laib Rf.TV thered unto him tdl the elders of

2 And the king: went up into the houae of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and all the inliabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the peoiile, ' both small and great: and he read in their ears alt the words of the book or the covenant f which was found in the house of the Lord.

3 ^ And the king ^ stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all their

heart, and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this boc^- And all the people stood to the covenant.

4 IT And the king commanded Hilkiah the high prieet, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for i the grove, aod for all the host of heaven: and he liurned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el.

5 And he ^ put down > the idolatrous priests, whom the kin^s of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the liigh places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sub, and to the moon, and to the "planets, and to ■'al! the host of heaven.

6 And he brought out the 'grove from the house of the Lord, without Jerusalem, imto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder mereof upon * the graves of the children of the people.

7 Andhebrakedownthetrauses lof the sodomites, that icere by the house of the Lord, ' where the women wove * hangings for the grrove.

flkll upon the people; and no advtr$ary Bhall be pennitted to disturb the peace of Judea; and thou nhaJt die in peace with GoA. But vaa Joaiah ^athertd to the grrare in peace 9 Ii it Tiot udd, chap, zxiii. t9. ttaat Phamon-Necho sisw him at He^tUo 1 On this we may remark, that the AnyriaM and un Jews w«re at peace: that Josiah might feel it his Amtf to oppose the Sgyptiao king goin^ sgainat his friend ain alty, and wdBavour to prevent hm from pusiag tfarourii hwterritorieat and dmt iBhiasndearoara to oppose hinihe \res mortally wounded at Megiddo; but certainly wag not kiUed there; for his servants put him in llu second chariot, and brou^t "hiro to Jerutalem, where he died in peace. See 2 Ghron. xxxy. 24. So thai, however we take die place here, we theW find that the WMTfh of Haldah were tnie i he did dU » peoo^ and tM» gmttartd b kit^atken in. peaet.

FuM the aeceant in the etbeve chapter, wh*rs w* have this busiaesa detailed, we find that Joiiah shcuM not have meddled in the qoarre] between the Egyptian and the As- Syrian liinn; for Qed had given a commission to tlie lomer a^auiat the latter; but he did it in error, and suflered for it. Bat dus unfortunate end of this pious man iloea not atsdl impeach the credit of Huldidi; ne din! in jpwst in his own Ringdom. He died in peace with God; «Qd fttere was neither war nor desolation in his land; nor did the kinft of Egypt proceed any forther against the Jews during his lite: for he said, " What have I to do with thee, diou Icine of Judah? I come not against diee, but the house wherewith I have war; for God commanded me to make haste: forbear then from meddling with God, who la with me, that he destroy thee not NevertheleB^ Josiah voald not turn his Ibee from him, and tiearkened not to the words of Nedio from die mouth of God. And the archers shot at King Josioh; and the Idng said, Bear me away, for I am sore wounded. And his servanu took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot, and they brou^t him to Jerusalem, and bo died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his Guhers," 2 Ghron. xxxv. 21—24.

S> sea to Cnsarea, and wished to cross the Jordan, about e southern point of the aea of "nberias, that he might get as speedily as possible into the Assyrian dependencies; and that he took this tnad, for Ood^ as he saia, had comvuuuted him to vutke haatt.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXHI. Verse 2. Tlie king went up into tht Itoute the Loan] Here is another very singular circumstance. The high priest, scribes, priests, and prophets, are gathered toother, with all the elders of the people, and the king himtm reads the book of the covenant which had been lately tbund 1 It is strange, diat neither the high priest, Jeremiah, Zephanitdi, or some other of (he prophets, who Were certainly there present, did not read the Sacred Book I It is likely ttwt Oie king considered himself a mMator between Qod and them j and therefore read, and nsds lbs oovenant.

VefSB 3. Stood fiy a jdBar} Bi sAwA ^wyn Vy H AJomsdt "tqwR dte f(a(ri,or ^mfptt.** This is what is called the brazen aeafold, or ptJpU, which Solomrai mode^ and on -which the kings were oocuatomed to stand, when they addressed the people. Bee 3 Chron. vi. 1). and the parallel places.

Made a covenant] This was expressed — 1. In general! To wdk after Jehovah: to have no gods besides him.

3. In pariiadart To bend their whole heart and soul ta the oosCTvanoe of iti so that they might not only have religian withoat, but jtitty within. To this all the pte^ tiood up; thus givii^ max consent, wtd bbtding tbnnselves to obedience.

Verse 4. TTia prieatM i(f the teamd order] Heae w*te, probably, such as supplied the place of the high priest, when he was prevented from folfilling the functions of his office. So the Chaldee understood the place— lAs mgan qf the high prieatt. But the vmda muy refer to those of the teeond course or order, estabUshed l^ David | though it does not appear thai those orders were now in use, yet the dittinetim was oostinued. even to the time of our Lord. We find the amrte <if Abia, which was die eighth, mentioned Luke i. 6- where see the note.

AU the ve—eU] Hiose had been used for id(dstroas purposes } dM king is now to destry them i foij nlthoagh no longer used in tnis way, they might, if permitted to remain, be an incentiAre to idolatrv at a fiiture time;

Verse 5. TTie idolainm* vrietts] o^0X\ ha-kemSHm, Who these were, is not well known. The Chaldee^ Suriac, and JraAic, call them theprieslM, simply, uMcA ms kings of Judah had ordained. Probably they were an ordw made bj the idolatrous kings of Judeii, and called cemarim, -from tea eamar, which signifies to be scqkAm^ lArivelled together, made dark, or biack. because their business was constantly to attend aaerifleial Jlree, and probably they wore btaek garment*; hence the Jews, in derision, call Christian ministers eemartm, because of their biaek clothe* and garment*. Why we should imitate, in our taeerdotai drete, (hoss priests of Baal, is strange to think, and liard to tell.

Vwo Baal, to the tan] Thoogh Baal was eeriauily the tun, yet here they are distinguidwdt Baalbtingworshipped under different forms and attributes, BoM-peor, Baat-xephon, Baal-xebub, &c

7^ plonstej Tvfjm maxzatoth. l^e Vulgate translates this, the iwdte signs, i. e. the xodiae. This is as likely as anv of (he other conjeotorea which have been publiabed leHLtive to this word. See a similar word, Job xzxvit. 9. and ixxviii. 32.

Verse's. Be brought out the imne] He brought sot the idol Asbcrah. See at the end of chap. xxi.

Opon the gravel of the children qf the JftopU.] I believe tins means die burial-place of tne common people.

VerseT. AousssQ^mssoifomftes] Wehave already often met with these arwip kedoAttn, or eonaecrattd per' -sons, "nie word implies all kinds of pro*tit¥ti», as well as sAuser* <if ihemeetvet wffft monJUnd.

Wove hanging* for the grove} For Ailurakt eurtains for the places where the riles of the iovon godA^ss were performed. See st the end of chap. xzL

8 And be brought all the priesta out of the citiea of Jodah, aod defiled the hi^h places where the prieets had borned incense, from t Geba to Beer-sheba, and brake down the hi^h ptaceB of the gates that •were in the enterinp[ in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which loere on a man's leSt band at the gate of the city,

J laces came not up to the altar of the Loro m erusalem, * but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.

10 And he defiled ■ Topbeth, which i« in ■ the valley of the children of Hinnom, ' that no man might make his son or his daaghter to pass through the fire to Molech.

11 And he tookaway the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the enterina; in of the house of the Lobd, by the chamber o? Nathan-melech the ■ chamberlaJa, which -was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

IS And the altars that were ■ on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which ■> Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, did the king beat down, and ■ brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

13 And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of ^ the mount of corruption, which * Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabitee, and for Milcom the abomi>atiou of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

14 And he ' brake in pieces the t imsgM, and cut down the groves, and filled their places witb the bones of dead men.

15 ^ Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, awl the high place ^ which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high [rface he brake down, and burned the high plaee, and stamped U snuul to powder, and burned the grove.

16 And as Josiab turned himself be spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones ont of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, accordiiur to the > word of the Lobd whieh the man of God prodaimed, who procktimed these words.

17 Then he said, what title t* that that I see } And the men of the citr told him, Jt i$ ^the sepal' chre of the man of God, which came from Judah* and proclaimed these things that thou haetdooB against the altar of Beth>eL

18 And he said. Let hiin alone: let no man move his bones. So they let bis bonea >afoaa. with the bones of" the prophet that came out or Samaria.

19 If And all the houses also of the high places that were " in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Me LOBD to anger, Josiah took awav, and did (o them aceordi% to all the acts that he had done in Betb-eL

20 And o he p < slew all the prieeU of the hjffh places that were there upon the altars, and

burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

SL^ And the king commanded all the peof^, saying, * Keep the paseover unto the Lord your God, • as 1/ 19 written in the book of this coveoam.

Vene 8. T/u gate of Jothua] The place whero he, u eovernor of (he city, heard and decided cauoea. I^ar uiii^ we find, there were public altars, where Boroetimea the tnie God, at other tiaiei folu Kodi, were honoured.

Tain 9. TTu prietU qf tht h\gh plaea canw not up] Am these prietta had ofiered ncrificei on the hi^ j^aeea, dwMgh it vaa to the tnu Ood; yet they were nut thou^t pnjper to be employed immediately about tlie tempte: but, aa tney were admowledged to beloog; to the prieaAood, they had a osAa to their eupport; Aerefore, a portion of the tithee, ooerian and unleavened bread, ahow-bread, Ac wai appoiolad to them for their support. Thus they were treated as prieaU who had some infirmihr, which mtdfltrod it improper for them to minioter at toe ajtar. See LeviL xxi. IT, Ac and particularly verses Zt and 23.

Terse 10. He d^fiUd T^phethX St. Jerom «iys, that Topbet was a fine and pleaaaot place, well watered with fountaiiuL and adorned with gardena. The valley of the son of Hinnom, or QtJunna,-ma in one part; ber& it riara, the saend rites of Molech were performed % aiu to sU the filth of the taxy was carried, and perpetual fires were kept opt fa order to oonsnma ib Haooe it has bam omsideredafypeof Aeff/ and in tfiissHMttisused indw New TeitamenL

It is here nid, that JoaA defiled this plaee, fhat no man might mtUee hie ton or hU daughier to pate tknmgk the fire. He destroyed the image of M oleen, and so polluted the place where he stood, or his temple, that il vaa rendered in evo^ way abominable. The rabbins say, that Tophet had its name from t|n topA, a drum t because instrumeala of this kind were used to drown the criei of the ehildren that were put into the burning arms of Holech, to be scorched to death, lliis may be as true as the following definition; — " Tophet, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, was a place near jerusalenL where the llltb and offid of the ci^ were thrown, and where a ecostant fire was kept up. to consume the wretched remains d executed enodnals. It was a human shamble^ a public chopping Mocl^ where the anna and Jt^ of men uid women were MMitsnd oflT Ivy diousaiMls." Q,uere. On what mlhority oo such 4eseriptions rest 1

Terse 11. 1%*korM&at0ukingtqf^tdahkadgivm to the- «wt] Jardd soya, that Atose who adored the aun, had horeee which the^ mounted svery morning, to go out to meet die son at his rising. 'Hiroiirinut the EasL the heoBUae of his sts^n and 1^^)^ TO detUenttd to the eun: and the Greeks and Ecmans feigned that tlie diariot of the eun was drawn ^ Jour Aotms, fynot, Eoaa. Aithon. and Ph]^;;on. See the note oo diap. li.

Whether these were lieiing or acittptur^d faoiM^ we cannot tell: the lattw is the mose nasonalde spppesiliGi.

Terse 12. OnOutopaflhevpptrAamktr^Xmnhm^ on the /o^ ro^ of ths hooses. Such altars were tnmi to the tun, moon, elarm, Ac

Terse 13. Mount qf corruption] This, says JartkL tAlowing the Ckaldee, was the moonl of Otjees; for this is the mount nnsnan ha meahaehah, of wietion: bat hrrsiMS of the idolatrous puiposea for wlUch it was uaed, the Scripture changed the u^>ellatioa to tt^^nottn^ nvteron Aa «mU AitlL corruption. AMoreih the abeminaHon, &e.1 See oo 1 Kings, zi. 7. Terse 14. fVUd their j^aim «at the bmu§ ^ J This was allowed to be the utmost defilement to wUcfi any thing could be exposed.

Verse 16. And ae Jotiak turned hinmff \ This verse is much more complete in the Septuagint, mm in the Bexar plar Sjfriae versioa at Paris. I shall giva the whd% makiDg a distiiictioD where, in those versions, any ifaiM isaddea. "And as Josiah tunied himself, he spied the s^siF chres that were thwe hi the mount, and sent and took the bones out of the sepulcbrea, and burnt them upon theater, and polluted it; according to the word of the Lord wtadi [he man of God proclaimed," [when Jereboam stood Iqr the altar at the feast And tumiiuc about, lu east his ejca on the sepulchre of the man of God] " who these woroo." See I Kings ziiL 2. where these I predicted, aod see the notes there.

Terse l7. What tUlo -s that] There was either a j an intake, or an tnseriji^uin here: the old [Mtq^iet, do dinli^ took care to have the place mode suScienOy resaarfcatds.

Terse 18. 7^ prophet that came oai <if Stmaria} St* the note on 1 Kings ziii. 32.

Terse 19. 7^ were in tAee{/f«0^Sii«iaKa] Armd had now no king; and Josiah, of the mood royal of Jodsh, had certaialy a direct right to the kingdom; hebail^KtttriB time, an especial commimon from God, to reform every abuse Arou)^ the whole land i all that ground that wm

Jiven by the Lord as an inheritance to the tteette mh* ok acob. Therefore, he had every ri^t to canr his ptaaa of reformation into the Samaritan states.

Terse 20. Sine aU Ou priest*! Tb« lives of Ihea^aa eoiMplan <rf dw peqple^ ware tatUtai to tfie knr.

18 Barmfy • there wai not holden auch a pttMover from the daye of the judges that judged iBrael, nor in all the days of the Idngt <^ igrael Bor of the Irings of Jodah:,,.

33 -But in the eighteenth jrear of King Josiah. vherein this pasaover was holdea to the Loan in Jerasalem.

34 ir MoreovM*, * the workert vita familiar spirits, and the wizarda, and the * imagesr and the idols, and all die abMniimtlonB that were spied in the land of Jndah, and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of " the law, which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest fittuid in the house of the Loan.

aoM king before him, that turned to the oi.^DaT.1. LoBD with all his heart, and with all

-"JL* t^g goul, and with all liis might, according to alt the law of Meaea } neither aifier him arose there ofty like him.

26 ir Notwitbstandhw, the Lobo turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith bis ancer was kindled against Judah, ■ because of all the ' provocations that tlaiuuweh had provoked him withal.

S7 And the Low> said, I will remove Judah also out of my eight, as I have removed Israel, and will east off this citj' Jerusalem which I have chosen, eumI the house of which I said, '■Myname shall be there.

Sa If Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings irf* Judah? ar^no' 391[<'Inhw days Pharaoh-nechoh pt An-jL king of Egypt went up against the kinr iwStlStf of Aasvria to the river Euphrates: and King Msiah wont against htm} and he ■lew him at •Megiddo, when he 'had seen him.

Verse 22. Sttr^thTeitaMiutHokUnmAapimover] Not OM on purer principle, mora heartily joined in by the ptvfU praMDt, more UtiraUy eonMcraUd, or more rtUgioutiy obMrved. Hie wonu do not i^ply to the number present t but to the manner and spint See the partieuJara and mode of eelebnting ihia pawovor, in 2 Chroo. jxKV. 1 — &

Verse 2S. Lika taUohim va» thart no king} Pertiape not one from the time of David; and, morally conaiderML infihyfiwy David himael( none ever sat on the Jewish thwM, so truly exemplary in his own eonduot, and >o iboroughhr zewooi in the work of Ood.

Ysrae 2&. Tlu Loss fumed noQ It was of no use to try this fickle aitd radically delved people any longer, l^ey were respited merely durmg the fife of Josiah.

Terse 29. A Am day* Pharaoh-tmheki See the note on the deMh of Josiah, ohap. xxii. 30.

/iaduk ia supposed to have bsen the son of AosMfUMems, UngofBgypti and the Assyriaa king, whom he was ning BOW to sttaek, was dke fcnwKW NahopoUMor. What the eause of diisqusRel was, is not known. Some it was on aoeount of CorcAsoUslh, a oity on the Eu- ■hrstVi hekwiging to the Egyptians, whieb flabopolassar had seised. See Isa. x. 9.

Verse 30- D tad from Megiddo} The word no m«tt, ben shoold be oonaidered as a participle, ^/ingi for it is eailnin he was not dead.- be was moriaajf wounded at Ktfiddo^ was eacried in a dj/ing ttaU to JervMlem, and Hsrr bs died and wae faoriea. Bee 2 Chron. xxzv. 24.

flsrsrfsftis, lib. i. e. 17, 16, 26. and Ub. iL 16^ tmpears t0 aalbr to the same war wuch is here meotienea. Hs WKf that NeohotL iu the tixtK nar of bis rei^ went to ntassk th« king of Assvria at Magdohm, gamed s eom- ■IsSs viotory, and took CaA/tit. Usner and others Mkm diat Afbgdobcm and Aftf^ddo were the saatoplsee. Thaazaetplaosof the battle sesus to have been Asdsd- Ha»a*OTi, ia &e Talky of Hegiddot tot thsce, ZsabstWi ttUs OB, ehap.xii< 11. was the great noamtsg fer JMiib. OanpaNlhfawilhSCairoo. xxsv.34, SS. Vssaa SL MtoakoM was tmmttmd Arm iMsrssldl

, 30 ' And his servants carried him in a char riot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchret And ^ thej>6opIe of the land took Jehcmhaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.

31 IT 1 Jehoahaz vtzs twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name wa« ' Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremieii of Libnah.

3:2 And he did that which war evil in the swfat of the LoBD, according to all tiiat his Ikthm had

33 And Pharaoh-nedioh put him in bands ■ at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, ■ that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and "put the luid ton tribute of a hundred talents of silver, and a ^ent of gold.

34 And " Pfaaraoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah hia father, and * turned his name to ^Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: 'and he came to Egypt, and died there.

3d T And Jehoiakim gave * the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of evei^ one according to his taxation, to ^ive tt unto Pharaoh>nechoE.

36 IfJehoiakuniMMtwentyandSve ^Jm?" years old when be began to reign: '-^J^ and he reigned eleven years in " Jeru- oixuili. salem. And his mother's name was -"•'^ *.

37 And he did that which was * evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that hislatfaera had done.

Hub whs not the etdett eon of Joaiah, which ie evident from this, that he wu tventy-three veare old when he legan to reign; that he reupied bat urea monihe; thi^ •eing dethroned, his brother EUakim wae put in his place, who waa then twenty-five yeare of age. Eliakim, therefore, wiu the eldat brother; but Jeho&az was probably raised to the throne by the people, being of a more active and martial spirit.

y«w 33. iMuA put him in bmde) Bat what vss tboowiseof hispuuinghimhibands? Ituoonjecturedaod not widiaut reason, that JAoahax, otherwise called Shotturn, raised en army, met Neehoh in hia return from CsrdunuA, fought, was beaten, taken prieoner, put in ohaiiu^ and taken into Egrpt, where he died, ver. 34. and Jer. xxii.11,12. AiNoAi or iNMsM, tbe pUee of this WW probably a town ia j^nis, la lbs Isod or dislriet of.bmoM.

Vene 34. Turned hia name to JthotaUm] IVss oamea ara precleely the same in signifieaiioD t Eliakim is, God t/iail arise i JanotAKiji, Jehovah ahaU ariae / or, the resurrection Ood j the reaurreeiion qf JehawA. That ii^ God's rising again to show his powN',jastio«^ Ac. T%e <A(tua of the name waa to diow Neehob's M^rssuqu andthatJehoiakimwasonly hisMssolorvlesrey. PrmSs of this mode of chsnging the name, wbea a penoo of greater power put aasmr in office ttnder hinselil mar be seen in the case of Mittaniak, changed imo Zedektaki Daniel, Mlahael, AnarUah, and Asariah, unto BetUihasiar. Bhadriieh, Meehaeh, and Abed-nego; and Joeegpk, uuo 2!aph»ath-paaneok. See Dan. L ^ 7. Gen. zlL 45.

Verse 35. Jehotakim gave the ailver and the gold] Vtihok bad pboed him Unere as viceroy, simply to xofoe and oolteet hia taxea.

Evny one oeeording to hia tatatton] Hm ia, mek was assessed in proportitft to his propeiW: diatwssAs principle avowed: but there is tssson to Mur diat this bai king was iwt Kovemed by iL

Versa 37. a did that whieh was soil <n aigU ^Os LtwnJ Hewasamostsnprine^dedandoppreswTetfrast Jeremiah gives tu his AawNer at iargt, ehap. xiU. 13— 19. to which the reader will do weU to refcr. Jeis> nishwBBst that time in the land | and an cyswitnsiiof lbs aboiaiaMioM of dds omn^

CWtonKari(M.Mgi>liiia,aiHl AMnciniiE>.lnnJrilHliinJ,«-i Jetwiakkn teLUid IriKdHhln, ha Km.niiTiu in tui ucail, 5, 6 The lUtiTl->niii« utrtoniM IIm EctP^hh,1. ttrtuxbii^^ut ukn JthnnchUi uxl h)> hmilr, uat all Ua tTMHM, aail iW of ih* UmplF, ud ill thi dwf Hopk uid inificen, uil wik* Um lo Babrloa, B-Hl lid Btfka Mutinati tntbor of Mnwkln. Un(, ncan X Babylon came up. and JehoiaJam cl'^i. >. became hia servant three yeara; then -T^L.v. t jjg turned and rebelled acainat hint.

2 * Aad the LiOBd aent egainst him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, ^ad bands of the Moabitea, and bands of the chudren of Ainmon, and sent them against Judah to destro; it, ' according; to the wora of the Lord, which lie spake * by his servants the prophets.

3 Surely at the conunaodment of the Lobd came (Aw upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, ■ for the Bins of lilaiiaueh, according to all that he did.,,., ^ ^

4 ' And also for the innocent Mood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocMt blood; which the Loan would not pardon.

5 Tf Now the rest of the acta of Jehoiakim, and aU that he did. ore they not written in the book of the ChronieleB of the kuwa of Judah t

^Mjw. 6 K So Jehoiakim slept with hia oLxtv.i Others: and Jehoiachin hia son reign- ^RinS? ed in hia stead,

B— 7 If And * the kioff of Egrot came not again any more out of his land: for < the khig of Babylon had taken, from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates, all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

8 IT k Jehoiachin • wo* eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name VMU Nehuahta, the daughter of Eloathan of

9 And he did that which was evil in the «ight of the Loan, according to all that his Ihther had

10 Tf "At that time the servants of Nebu-

11 And N^chadnezzar king ofKdryloncaiBe against the city, and bis servants did besiege it.

13 " And Jekotadiin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and lus »-officers; ' and the king of B^ylon ■ tooik him * in the eighth year of his reign.

13 " And he carried out thence all the tresr Bures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and * cut in pteees all the vessels of gpld which Solomon king of Israel had-made in the temple of the Lobb, 'as the Lord had said. '

14 And ■ he carried away all Jeruaalera. and all the princes, and all the mighty in^Qof valoor, ' even ten thousand captives, and ■ all the cralUmen and smitha: none remained, save 'ths poorest sort of the people of the land.

15 And he earned away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, aad the king's wives, and his * officers, and the mighty of the land; (Ao«e carried he into captivity from JerDsalem to Babylon.

16 And ^ all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craflamen and smitha a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even tbem the king of Babylon brought captive to Bat^loo.

17 IT And ■ the' king of Babylon made Mattaniah ' his ladier's brother king in hia stead, waA > changed his name to Zedekiab.

'le reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, n^v.w And his mother's name wo* ■ Hamittal, "■T^'-.V. tbe daughter of JeremiiUi ofLibnafa.

19 >■ And he did that luhuA wo* evil in the slight of the LoBD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

20 For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he bad cast them out from his presence, > that ZedeUah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Verse 1. Nebudtadnezxar] Thia man, ao famous in the writings of the prophets, waa bod of NabepoloMar. He WBs seat by his father against the rulers of aeveml provinoeathat had revolted; and he tookCarcheiniBh,andall Ibat beloi^ed to dw Egyptians, from the Euphratsa to the Nile. Jdioiakim, who waa tributary to Nechoh, king of Egypt, he attacked and reduced; aiid he obliged him to bMorae iribatanr to Babylon. At the end of thrct years he revolted; and then a mixed army of Chaldeans, Syrians, Hoabices, and Ammonitea, was sent against him, who ravaged the eouittry, and took three thotuand and tvmtythrce prisoners, vhom diey brought lo Babylon, Jer.)ii.2&

Verae 6. Jduriwhin hi* aon] As this roan rncned only throe monthaj am) was a mere voasal to the Mbylomans, his reign u scarcely to be reckoned; and, there- (m, Jeremiah saya of Jc^takim, fu ahall havt none to sit upon the throne q/* JSovu^chap. xzzv. 30. for at that time it Belonged to the king of Bafanrloii, and JeheisdiiD waa mere viceroy or governor. Jmoiachio is called /tehoniot in Hatt. i. 11.

Verse 7. The king of Egypt came not again} He so crushed by the Babylonians, that he was obliged to con' Sue himself within the limits of hia own states, and oould BO more attempt any conquests, Tbt text tells us bow nueb be had lost by the Bahyloniaiis. Seeon ver. 1.

Verse 8. Jehoiachin was ean yoan old] Ha is called Joamiah, 1 C%nm. iii. 16. and ConfoA, /n-. xxii. 24. In 2 Ohraa. zzxvi. 9. he is said lo be only eight mars of age; but this must be a mistake, for we uid that faa^ng reigned only three months, he was earried eaptiva Jo Balnrlon, and tbsrs he bad wf Mt; and itis Terr wapro> MUeawaohiUibstweBn dgU sad ntae ysars of a«a, could ha%'e invet; and, of such a tender ages k tan Bccumly be eaid l)wt, as a king, he did thai vUtA im* etil in the tight tjf the hard. The place in Chmides must be corrupted.

That be waa a grievous ofiender agsdnst Ood, we Isam from Jerem. xzii. 24. which the reader may etHMuh j as^ in dte man's punishment, see his crimesl

Verae 12. JeMa^wn—vmi 9Ut] He saw ibal if was useless to attempt to defend -himself any longer; and be therefore sturendered himself, hoping to witainbetiertema.

Verse 13. He edrried out theneo all the h-cosicres} It lias been remarked that Nebuchadnezzar spoiled the toapk three timMi — 1. He took awav the greater pan of tboss treasures wlieo he took Jenmuem under Jehoiakim: aad the vessels that he took then he placed in die terajde of Us ffod, Dan. i. 2. And these were the veastis which B*luiazzar pr^aned, Dan. v, 2; and which Qrrvs rtsii— 1 to Ezra, when he went up lo Jeniaalem, Em i. X. h was at this time that h« tooK Daniel aod his eoapaaioaa 2. He took the remaining part of tboaa wela, and hnke then or cut them in pieoea, irtien be come the aecoad nms against Jemsalem, tmder Jeconiab; as is mentiwied he^ ver. 13. 3. He pillaged the temple took swm aU tfae brass, tfae brazen pillan, brasea veaaela, and veaMlB of and silver; wfaiui be GDond diere when he besicBed J«*ssalem, under Zedekiab, chap. xxv. 13—17.

Verse U. Be earried auoy all ArttsalcM] Tbat im, all the chief men, the nobles, and anificera. Antar tfaeae there were of midity nwn MStn thousand; of aad smiths, ou Aoumtd,

Verse 17. Midt Mattaniahkia fatht^ broOm-Umg in hia ataodj He waa son of Josmh, and broibar to J*> hoiakim.

Verse 19. A (04-4*0] How satoniAing is this t nsi one of them (akoe wvaiBg 49 the jodgmMitBsi God, ^ MloadMirsiBftdi '

^bdrs^T month, in the tenth day of the month, <Aa/N^chadBeZzarlnt^orBabvlon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, tmd pitched agsinst it; and they built forts agaioet it round about.

Ok jSAiTi the eleventh year of Kiner Zedeluah. r^YS^*- 3 And on the ninth day of the Vcm "J%KtrM> month the &mine prevailed In the city, and there waa no bread for *jr the people of the land. - ■„ * And • the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walla, which t$ by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees vere against the city round about:) and p Me ktng^ went the way toward the ptein.

5 And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered fi-om him.

6 So they took the king, and brought him up to the kit^ of Babylon i to Riblah; and they 'gave judgment upon him.

7 And they slew the eons of Zedekiah before his eyes, ajid * put out the eyes of ZedeldaJi, and bound him with fetters ofbrass, and carriea him to Babylon.

Verae 20. ZedekuA rtbelM\ Thia was in the eighdi year of hia reign: nod he ia atroo^ly reproved for having violated the ouh bo look to ^ lung of Babylon; seeS Chran. xxxvt 13. "niis wai the filling up of the measure of iniquity; and now the wrath of God deaoenda upon thia devoted king, city, and people, to the uttermoaL