Commentary on the Holy Bible

Verse 1. In the ninitt year iff kU reign^ Zedekinb, having revolted i^nat the Ctuudeon^ Nebuchadnezzar, wearied widi bis treaohery, and the boa foith of the Jewi, deternuned the total lubvernon of the Jewieh atate. Having aaaerabled a numeroua army, ha entered Judea on the t*nA day of the tenth month of die ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah; thi% according to the computation of ArchbiahopUuher, waa on ntatndai/,JdmiaryJO,A.M. 3414, which waa a aabbatieat year: whereon the men of Jeruaalem, heahnr that the Chaldean army waa approaching, proclaimed liberty to their aervanta; see Jer. xxziv. 8, 9, 10; according to the law, Exod. zxi. 2. Deut. XV. 1, 2, U I for Nebuohaonezzar, inarching with his army •Minst Zedekiah, having wasted all Ike country, and tScen their atnog^tokk, awei>t Laefaiatk Axkab, and J*- lusalem, came nnunat the latter with all his forces: see Jer. xxxiv. 1 — ^7. On the very day, as the same author compute^ the ntge and utter destruction of Jerusalem were revealed to Ezekiel the prophet, then in Chatdea, under the type of a teethmg'pot; and his wife died in the evaniog, aoo he waa charged not to mourn for her, because of the exlraordiumr ealamity that had CiUen upon the land I aee Ezek. xnv. 1, 2, Ac.

Itkaraoh Bbpkra, or VaphrU, hearing how Zedekiah was pressed, and fearing for the aafeqr ofua own domintoom, should the ChsIdewH succeed against Jerusalem, delermined to auoeour Zedekiah. Findiw this, the Chaldeans raised the siege of Jeruaalem ua went to meet the Bgjptian army, which they defeated and put to flight. — ^tmh, Antiq. lib. z. c 10. In the interim the Jews, thinicing d>eir danger was past, rocliumed their servants, ■ad put them again under ine yoke, Jer. xxxiv. % dkc

8 IT And in the fifth month, " on the seventh day of the month, which ia * the ninteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, * came Nebuzar-adan. ' captain of the guard, a servant of the kin? of Babylon, unto Jernmtem:

9 r And hebivnt the house of the Lonn. 'and the king's house, and all the houses of Jenisalem, and every great fmm's house burnt he with nre.

10- And all the army of the Chaldees, that were m'til the captain of the guard, 'brakedowB the walls of Jerusalem round ^>ont.

It '■Now the rest of the people (Aoi merfl left in the city, and the 'fugitives that fell away to the king of Balwlon, irith the remnant of Uie multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.

12 But the captam of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vine-dressers and hndband-

13 ITAnd 'the 'pfllars of brass that vere the hoaae of the Lohd, and > the bases, and ^ the brazen sea that vas in the house of the Lob», did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried th« brass of them to Babylon.

14 And t the pots, and the shovels, and the snufiers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, look ibtf aww.

15 And the fire-pans, and the bowls, and such things as ■were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the goard took away.

16 The two pOlars, ^one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; Uhe brass of alt these vessels waa without weight.

17 ' The height of the mepillar was eighteen cobits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the

chadnezzar, having routed the Egyptian army, returned to Jeruaalem, and beai^ed it so closely that, being reduced by bmine, and a breach made in the wah, the Chaldeana entered it on the ntniA day qf the feartk monlA. (Wednesday, July 27.) Zedekiah, and many others, enaeSToariag to make their escape by nigbL

TeraeB. Thearmy qf Oie OtStdeea purmted\ Zedekiah waa taken, and Drought captive to Riblah in Syria, where Nebuchadnezzar then ley, who ordered bia aona to be sbun before his Ihce, and then put out bia eyes; and, having loaded him with chains, sent him to Babylon: see Jer. xxxix. 4,7.1ii. 7, 11; thua fulfilling the prophetic dedsrationa, that hie eyes ^wul4 *ee the net of the king of BabyUm, Jer. zzxiL 4. and zxziv. 3; but Bab^m M ehoiud not aee, tbou^ he waa lo die thae, Eeek. kii. 13:

Verse 8. ht &e Jtjamott^ On die seveniA day of As J^h month, (answering to Wedneaday, Aug. 24.) Nebuzar-adan made his entry into the citv; and, havng spent two days in making nroviiion, on ine tenth day of die same month, (Saturday, Aug. 27.) he set fire to the temple, and the king's palace, and the houses of the nobility, and burnt them to the ground, Jerem. lii. IX compared with Rxtz. 8. Thus the temple was destrinred in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the nineteenOi at nebochadnezsar, the ^rat of the XLVIIIth Olympiad, in the one hundred and sixtieth current year of the era of Nabonoaaar, Jbur hundred and twenty-four years, Ara months and eight day*, from the time in whtdi Solomon laid iia foundation stone.

Verae 10. Brake down the wdU] In the same M9k month, Jer. 1. 3. the walls of Jeninlem heing nzed to the ground, all that were left in the city, andan that had fled over formerly to Nebuchadnezzar, and all the common people of the city, with all the king's treasures, those of the nobles, and the whole furniture of the temple, did Nebuzar-adan oorij off to Babylon; see Jerem. zxxiz. EL 9. lii. 14, 23. And thus waa Judah carried away out of her own land, /our hundred and rixty-eight years sAar David began to reign over it] from the diviaion of the tea tribes, three hundred and eighty-eight jears; and Iron the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, onehundredtad thirty-four years; A. H. 3416; and before Christ, Aw hundred and ninety. And thus ends what is called the Jiflh age qf the world. See Uwnss's ^nnab.

wnntheB work, and pomegranatea uj&on the ^apiter rouod about, all of oraea: and Eke unto these had the aecood pillar with wreatheo work.

18 IT ° And the captain of the guard took * Seraiah the chief pnest, and p Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the <>door.

19 Andoutofthecity be took an 'officer, that wai set over the men of war, and ■ five men ot them that t were in the king's presence, which were fiHUtd in the city, and the <■ principal scribe ^ the host, which nnislered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land ihat mere found in the city:

20 And Nebuzar-adan, captain of the ^uard. Cook theae, and brought them to the king of BabjrIontoRiblah:

21 And the kin^ of Babylon smote them, and ■lew them at RiUah io the land of Hamath. *So Jadah waa carried away out of their land.

^ T ^ And €ts for the people that remained ia U» land cS Jnoah, whom NebochadneKzar kteff of Babylon had left, even over them he made Qedaliah the mu of Ahikaw, the boo of Bbaphan, mlcr. ^,

23 And when all the « captaiDS u the arnuetj tiMr aad their men, heara that the king of Buyloa had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Miznih, even lahmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the bod <^ Taahnmeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaoiah the son m a Maachathite, they and their men.

Terse 18. Seraiah Ou dtitf }>ne<(— Z^AuntoA] The pemDiriio IB htte eall^ ^mondprUtt, waainiat the Jem eall ra^'an, a sort <rf drntly, wha parformed the ftutedoDfl of the high prieat, vheo ne wu prerented by ■ay iafimity from atteadiiig Um temple samoe. See oa Cbip. xxziii. 4.

In Jerem. Ui. 26. it is said he took Mven men who were near the king'e person, and the eame number is fuond in Uie Arabic in this place; and the Oialdee has no lesa than Jtfty mm: but in Jeiemiah this, as well as all the rest of toe vonimiM, reads aeven. Probably they were no more dmnjlM at firatj or, perhaps Jeremiah reckoned, with the fm. the o^lcer diat was aet over the men uMir, and the prmc^toTwrtfre of the host, mentjoned here, as two 1^ the finiand thas made seven in the whole.

Terse ei. TiulArigf^ BahyloinwmttU&^aA He had, DO doubt, found that these had counselled Zedelciah to revolt.

Terse 22. Made OedaUah — ru^.] Una was no regal digni^i he was only a sort of A«n<^ or oDerseer, appointed Io regulate the luubandmen.

Terse 23. TbJtSixpah] This ia said to have beeontuated on li» east side of the river Jordan, and most cmitigaoos to Babylni and, therefore^ die moat proparfbr me residenee m Qedaliab, bsoaose nearest to tne plaoe from iduch he was to receive his lOstruetions. But there woe sereral places of diis name; aad we do n« exactly know iriiere nie was situated.

Terse 24. €hdaliah twm ta thtm} He plsdnd himseU^ in the most solemn manner, to encourage ana protect tbam.

Tern 26. Smat* Chdaliak] lUs was at an entertainmeat which Gedaliah had made for them: see 3tt. j]L 1, &0. He was not content with this murder, but slew finurscore mor^ who were coming with offerings to the iMBpl^ and tew eevenl as prisoners; and among thrai ■ome at tba Mng** dn^gftleF*: and set off to go to the Ammonitfls. But Jtduo^^dia son of Kanab, hearing of

24 And Gedaliah aware to them, and to their men, and said unto them. Fear not to be the aervontsof the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be wcU with you.

25 But r it came to paaa in the seventh iBOnth. that Ishmael the son of Wethaoiah, the son of Elishama, of the seed * royal, came, and ten men with nim, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.

26 And all the peofJe, both small and ereat, and the oaptaina of the armiee, arose. ■ and came to Egypt: fur they were afraid of the Chaldees.

27 T ''And it came to pass in the 'Vc.aS' seven and thirtieth year or the capti-

vity of Jehoiachiaking of Judah. in the m. ■STS? twelilh month, on the seven and twen- " ' '°: tieth day of the month, that fivil-merodach king of Salmon, in the year that he bcnn to reign, ' did lift up the head of Jehoiaehin kiiig of Jauh out of prison;

28 And he spake ^ kindly to him, and aet his thrtme above the throne of the kiDffi that were with him in Babylon;

29 And changed hu pricoD-gannwiia; aad he did * eat bread eontinnally b«ve him all the days of his life.

30 jLad hifl allowance wo* a eontiiiDal aflew^ ance given bim of the king, a daily rate Jbrevwy day, all the df^ra of his liw.

these outrages, mised a number of men, and nnmed Irfkmael: Idimael'a jnisoners immediately turned, and joiiwd Johanaa } so that ht, and of his aeoompliees, wiA difficulty escaped to the Ammonitea: aee Jer. xU. I, Ac. Baali*, kinf of the Ammonitet, had sent lAmael to Border Oedaliao i and of this he was informed by JefaaDi^ who <^ed to prevent this, by taking away the liie lUi murderer. But Oedaliah could not believe that he bsi^ boured such foul designs: and therefore, took do pfccaaliga (O aaTe his life: see Jer. zl. 13—16.

Terae 27. Arui ii came to paw] ^■M^n'*'>**TT ns just now dead; and Evil-merodach, his son, succeeded u me kisffdOm, in the thtriy-tetenth year qf eaptititf qf Jehotaxtn: and on dte aeven andtvenneth day, [Jotmiah myajlve and tvetUieih,] of the tiectflh mmA ft that year, {Tuetdajk Ajrril \€, A. M. 34^) he Ikw^ the lonceapti'vated Jewish king out of prison; tresJM him kiwily t and ever after, dicing his life, rcekoned bte among the king's friends. 1%is is partieuUrly rdaied il the fbcD- last verses of the book of Jeremiah.

Terse 30. A corUinuai aUovance given him ^ Suking] He lived in a regat etyU, and haa his court even ia loe city of Babylon; being supplied with every reqUHsIs by the munificence md friendship of the king. Io atant Ass year* after this, Bvil-merodadi was slain m aeonaiNnCTt and it is mppaaed diat Jdioiadiin, then about fiftr<«ipK years of age, fell with his fi^end and notector. Ifni Vkminates the catastrophe of the Jewin king^ state, the consequence of unheard-of rebelhoaa am pnmeationa against die Hajes^ of heaven.

ATTCIENTTjY, thflse (iw books were contidered tut tm one: for this we have not only the teatimotiy of 81. JertrtUt but also that of the MeuoTttet, who gave the «um of all the seotiona, chapters, and vereea, under one wriaHon at the end of the aecond book; without mentioning any diviaion: and, althou^ the modern Jitk* divide ihra, yet they rive the Muorttie enumeration of aeetion^ Ac. as It waa giirail of old; tM all editors of the Masoretic Bibles, whemer Jewish or Christian, follow the nme plan.

These books have had aeveml name*. In Hebrew they are denominated mm ■'in dibrey Tun/amim; Uteiany, TV Words iif Ae Day; i. e. Tfte Jbumoto, pturticularly of the kings of Israel and the kinga of Judah. ButthJi name doea not appear to have been given by the inspired writer. _

The Syriae has, Tlu Book offfuTrarumdioTtM in Ae dm/t of Ac Mngt qf Judah: ahlA it caUed, Dtbrl yomim f Mferricg to the Hebrew title.

The S^iuaeint bos, m^Attumatww, qfAe Atn^ that were t0, or tmUted; supposing that diese books wert « ■t^pfamsn^ciOiertOiSamiM^aQdtDtheAaofa^JRn^ To ihii the Oreek tiaoslators migtn have been led, bv ftndinr that ibese books, in their tim^ timA 0U Sacred Canon, oa they Mill do in the mott Mrmol editionfl of the Hebrew Bible. The Frtte'ftfeuaea the same tern aa flie fiitpfiMu^TU, refcTring, tike the Syriae m& Arabic, to the HthrtWJUtma. IB mir SnglUii Bihie, the» books are termed Cftrwrirfes, from the GTeokw"'''!*! Tjwot, W***; i. e. J H»» tery iif Hitu* [ or, as the matter of the work show^ "A Histmr of iWea, Kingdoms, State*, ReHgioD, Ac with an

Coneerning the oulW of these books nethn^ certain is known. Soine thtakthw are tiw works of ili^«rMi bat the UBifonnity of the Myle, the connaxkm of the bets, together with the rocapitalouons and reftewwna, wlaeh an •Aen made, prove that (hey are the wCTk of otu and Ae MUM penon..

The Jews, and Christian interpret^ in general, believe they were the work of EnA, asaistMl ^ nte INMnW Baggai, ZaiAariah, and MaiaM. That E*aA woe the author, It, on the whole, the wort prebable opbiioo. Tm he fived at the eonolosion ot die BabyhmiA captivity, is well known; and *e Second Book of C»ooietea tor^naW at diat period; barely reoitiag the doiTM oT Cynu to pertnit Ae return of the captivated IsraeliMa to tbefr own laad^t which subject is inmediately taken up in ute Book o/ETm, in which dte operation of that decree ia distinctly mattod, and in 1 Chron. xxvili. 17. And ytom ttoHfeMion, or drakmtm, "idraehma," er 3m«, 1 Chron. xxix. T. ti. 68. Neh. vii. 70. And nvma^ rapAsMlotfi, " tattmr or JtoaU, 2 Ghren. ii. 19. widely dincring from nman Otbnm, t Kings T. 9. which we there tnnantft in die same way. Calmtt ooosidirs theae words «a strtmg evitem that tOMr hooka w«rfl the woric of Biera, and peinwd rfltor ttie captivity.

We are not to suppoae that these books are the Oirmidtt tftkt kingt of Judah wnd JstmZ, so aAen re&rrad ta m llM kfMorical booka of the Old TMlamenti theae havabew long lest; tnd (tie boeke before as can only faaabndgmnta either of such chronicles, or of works of a similar kind. ^.

■RMi the annentJewa took great care to rsgfMsr their civil, mililary, and «ecdemntieal tranaaetioB^ ia NnaenUy evident frgn firequent refcrenee to such works in the Sacred Writings t M>d that these rwi«t«rv wen caremlly an* remedy fermad, we learn from the character of the pmano by whom they wen oomiledl bey war* ia geoeral proii^ta; and aeem to have been employed by the kings under whom they lived, to compile the uaaii* tt inat at, most likely, this was considered a part of^the prophet's regular office.

Shemaiah and Iddo wrote dwae of Reboboam, 2 Chron. xii. 16,

JUdo wrote also those of AujAa, 2 Chron. xiii. 'Zi.

It ia likely thai Haaani the seer wrote those of Aba, 2 Chron. xvi. 7.

baiah recorded the transactions of UsziAn, 2 Chron. xxvL 22; and ihoae oC Hnnu*^ 2 Chron. zxxiL 32| and at Ah AX, of whose reign we find the principal nets in the viith, Tiiith,«nd ixth obaptera ofhis prqiheaea. Under this reifn also, we find OcUd, the prophet, 2Chron. xxviii. 9.

J/osta wrote the history of the reign of MANASflXH. See 2 Chron. xxxiil. 19. in the mar^rin.

And Jeremiah wrote the history of Jobiab and his descendants^ the last kings of Jud^.

■niia was aach a soeeeaaion of MsMrians as no nation of the world could ever boast. Meik all of whom wrote tmder the tn«|»ra<ioRof Ood'a Holy Spirit taonte of whom had minds the moat highly cultivatadi, and of the most extraordinary powers. Whether the prophets who flouriAed in the reigns of the kikn ef Irrad wrote the annals of Ams king* we know not, because it is not positively declared. We know that Ahija^ the Sbilonite, lived under JaaosoAJii tbe oon of Nebat, I Kings xi 29; and ziv. 2; and Jehu, son of Honani, under Baasha, 1 Kinga xvt. 7.

Elijah, and many ottLsra, flooridied under the reign of Ahai. Elitha, Jonah, and many more, soooeeded him ia tbeprontietie office.

Beaines these propbMs, and prophetic men, we find other persona whose office it was to record the tranaetioin of Um kings under whom dtn livm. These were called sacretorics, or reeordtrt s so, under DAvm and SoLOMOir, Jtltodtajitatf the son of Ahiiud, was rteorder; •t'Std mazekir, " remembrtmcer" 2 Sam. viii. 16; and 1 Chron. xviiL 15. Am Ulnar HaantiAM, we find Jeah, the son of Aaaph, 2 Kings xviii. IB. And under Josiab, Joah the son of Jbatuue, who filled the same office, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 8.

The real object of the andior of theae books is not very easy to be ascertained. Bui it is evident that he never could have intended them as anmpiemsni to the preceding books; asheretateamany of the same oircumstaaeea which occur In them; and often in grtaUr detail} and, except ^ way of amplifleatioJi, addt Ttry liule that can be called new f and omiU manv tiiinga of importanee, not only in the ancient history of the Israelites^ but even of thoae mentioned in tbajwwadiag bodu of Samuel and Kings. Nituth^trt of hiswtvk are occupied with extensiTe gsnsoWioal tablet; but even then are far from h^ogpttfleL His hutorr, propeHv RMaking, doea not begin till (be UnA AafUrt and ttwD it commenoea afaruptlj, vithtne iMtamiceeHftil Mttleof iMut tnd hii death; l)utnotainirdc(liieU«ai7, Hmu^ the writer givee many ourioua and inpoitant particulara in the life of David, yet be paaaea br hia iwfiiffiij with Bath-ahdia, and all iu conaequeDcet. He M71 Bothtng of the incM of AnUMO, with hia aiater l^tnar; aor • word of the rcAeUfon and obomfnofwiu of Abnlom. Ha m^i venr little of die king* of Isael t and take* bd nodea of what concerned that it&te, fnnn the capture of Amejdah, king of Jud^d^ I17 Joaah,

Ac. And of the Ian wan of these kingi^ which tenninalad in the eapttvi^ of the ten tnbai^ he nya not one word 1 llie principal deeign of the writer wpeara to "have been thii; to point out from the puUic regiaten^ which were Mill preaerved, what had oeen the itate of the different fiunilies previoualy to the captivt^; that, at their letucik they BiC^ enter on, and repoaMi^ their reipective inheritances. He enters particularly into tbs fanetiooL geaealogws nmiliiK •od orders, of the pruata and LevUea; and this was peculiarly necessary after the return from the eaf^intj, to Ae oh - that tiie worship of God mi^t be conducted in the saniie way as before; and by the ivopar legitimate neraomi.

He ia abo very particular relative to what concerns religion, the worship of CwL uie temple and its utenalj^ the king* who attthortxed or tolerated idolatry, and those who maintained the worship of the true tSod. In hia disaftatioa ^ nraiae and blame, these are the qualitiea which principally occupy hia attention, and influenee his pen.

It may be necessary to say sotnething here concerning the tUilili/ of these books. That they are in this rcsmei ia low estimation, we may learn from the manner in whiui they are treated by commentators: they mj very liule eoBceming them, and suppoaa the suliMet has been anticipated in.uiebo<As of Sbmuef and £Fn^. That the persona wk* treat trwm thus have never atndieo them ia most evidenL else their judgment would be widely diffcrenL Wbatercr history these books posses^ in common with the books of Samuel and £ngs, may, in a commentary, be fairly intrtK duoed, in the examination of the latter; and this I have endeavoured to do, as the reader mav have already seen. Bk there are various detaUa, and atrimu /acU and obtertatUnu, which must be conaidered in tneae bodu alwe; oor wiD a riight mention of such circumstances do them histice.

Sl Jsrom bad the mostexalted opinion of the books of Chronicles. According to bim, "They are an ^itome ef the Old TeatamenL" Heaa*erta " "niat th^ are of audi high moment and importanet^ ihathe wno iuppoaea hiaaelf » baaequainiodwiih Iba Sacred Writings, and doea not know iAon, mily deceivea binudf; and that innumerabte ^bmtiona ralattva to the Gomel an here exi^ned." Paro/iiMniienon Uber, id ttt, ItutrumenH VtUrit Emnft, faxtat ae lali* utiut at»que ulo, H quia srin^Ham Scripiuranm Mi voliurU arrogare, teipaum irrideaL Per sinnk guippe nmnina, Junettaruqtu oerfrorum, at j>r<cUrmUt<z in RcouM Ubria tangwntur kiatori^; et itmMmtrtMm axpbeaaiur Evatigdii QuMlionea. Epiat Seound. ad PauUnum Preriiyterum. Ovsa. Benedict. voL iv. coL 174. And in another plaM ha aasert^ that "All Sermtura knowledge is oonlained in dieaebocd^ Owmi4 erudiiio ScHf Atrorura, m A«e itftro ce»(£n<b(r. PrafiU. in lih. Atral juxta Septuaginta Interpret. Orn. Edit Beaed. vtd. i. eoL 1418. Ihia may be going too far t hilt St. Jerom believed that there was a mystery and inaanhigiatvaiy|rBfarwa«^ wbsthar of man, uvmon, eiiy, or amrUry, in the book. And yet he complaiM greatly of the oonuption m thoae sawsfc Mine having beeo (tiaided^ so aa to make ItM or Arse name* out of one; and aometimaa namaa ecadaise4 ss aa or Arae name* to make but one. To cure this evil he laboured hard, and did much; but still the confuaioo is gna^ and in many caaes past remedy. To assist the reader in this respect I wiui to refer htm to the marginal raaiUmga, aad paraitat tafta, wbiebazebarecarehillyr^ireaenled in the inner margin: theae should be conatanuy oonaultad, is tfaay s*rv« 10 faauw naay difluulties, and reconoile aevaral aaaming eoatradictkm*. laadditkni tonwaa haba^I hamfianllalh ajcamlned the diftrent anoeni ventona, and die voriotia nadmga ia Ibe MSS. of KmnMt and Ih A**h wUdi •ften belp M remove sudi difficultiea.

Tbere m one mode of expoaition which I have applied to theae book^ which has not, as lar as I faww, beta sa i«t wedt I mean the TWgvm, or C%a/i<M PoropAroM, trf Rafahi Joasra. It is well known to all oriantal ac^okii, tM s Chaldaa Targum, or Paraphrase, baa been found and pubUsbed in the Polyglotia, on every book of the Old Tbstanea^ stirab Hebraw, the books of OmmieUa excited. Neilhar in Ibe CWtpmtenaian, Antwerp, Pariaian, nor Lsadsa VolynotL is each a Targum to be found j none having been diacoverad when these wDrics were piuriidMd. shortly after the London Polyglou was finished, a HS. was found in the Univeraity of Cambridge^ caataiaiBg Targum. on theae books: thu, with several other pieces, AroUe, Paraic, Syriae, Ac Dr- Sartnul Clarke eoUcmd, and mteoded to publish as a atgaplammiary volume to the Pdyglott, tait was prevented by premature death. Tha MS. was afterward copM by Mr: Ztoaid Y^^Atns; and printed, wtm a Latin traniUaU Of tta work the reader will find I have made a liberal use, aa I have ot the Targum of Jonathan ban tlxsial, on die praoeding books. Itabbi JoaepH, the author, lived about tkrte hmdrad yaara after the destruction of the aecood umpk^ or about A. D. 400. 'Hie HS. in queation formerly belonged to the celebrated Srpen, and waa purchaaed by the di^ af Hm^iriBghinBj then Chancellor m the Universi^ of Cambridge, and by him presented to ih« puUio bbiary of (hat ITaivandty.

It iaiwotllyef remark, that die tecia (runs auymro, "wmd," and n irvm nuynipailaya, "the word of JdavdS* is uaed paraonaUv in tbia IWnunt never a* a word apokm, but as a raaaoir tding: aae iba oolea 00 Jeha L L

Hie Ftrat B«A at Ckmldaa caeUatm a sort itf geaealogioal biatory, from the onaiion of tbe werid w AedM of D«nd,A.]L29e9i

6 And the lona of Oomer; Adieheaaz, and * Riphath, and Tograrntah.

9 And the sons of Ciub; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

10 And Ciuh ' begat Nimrod: he began to be BiKhtT upon the earth.

12 And Patbrurim, and Casluhini, (of whom came the Philistines j and f Caphthonm.

13 And ^Canaan begot Zidon his first-born, and Heth,

14 The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, nod

15 And the Hivite, and the ATlute, and the Sioite.

16 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, end the Hamathite.

Terae 1. Adam, Shtt/t, £notA] That Adam mt dte Auberof ShethoT 8«th, Seth waa the buher of Eooab, Enoah the fiuher of Kenan, aad ao on. No notice is taken of Cain and Abtl, or ot any of the other wna of Adam. Chw line of patriarchy from Adam 10 Noah, is what the Matoriaa intended to give: and to have mentioDed the poeteri^ of Cina or Abu woald have been uieleaa, as Noah was not the immediate deaeandant of either. Beaidaiv <^ their poateritjr had Mriihed in the deluge, none remaining of the Adamic family but Noah and hii children: and from Iheea all the natioiM of the earth ipraag.

How learned moat thoaa men do mo can take for a WA ''T^JlTslMrN^ of Aajirvfdkaptor. of M</r*( 600* of CMBOncLsa,** and find a mjiwtoy in each name/ nAteh, in the aggregate, amounte to a fbfl view of the original jMT/temn, mAwtpunt Jaltt eomoqtUfU mioory, andjlnol raetoroMm of hah I O ye profoood illuetratora of the tmmem of men and cUia, why do ye not give ui the Aey of Tom' wiedom, write oomment^ and enUpiten the worldl

Terse S. After Tirag, the l^^um adda, Aitd the namea pi tfieir eoofitriee were Africa, and Oermanr. and Media. «ad llMedooia, Bidiynia, and Mmaia, and Thrace. Ana tn tmoUur copy, Oennaay, Oetia, and Hedia, and Epbe- MB, BilhTDMs and Hmaia, and 'niraee.

Verse 6. To this verae (be l^num adda, And the namea of 4ietr ebonlriea wore Aaia, ana Perva, mid Barbary.

"VmnoT. T^ooiuqfJaoan] But the torn <if Maadon, Abu, mad 7Wnw JbiKm. sad JParrfsafsf OTraoeording •soibsi^iRUkSiAJasi, 7llMU^AdksttBfs,aDdllsrdBii<(i, iNdimh Slid CKomei^ sad Anltadt 8oamthii1VK<uni wfakh 1 ihsa hwMMfarlh rlwrigmw by ihslatter T,

17 If The sons of > Shem; Elam, and Ashnr, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Oetber, and Meschech.

18 And Arphaxad begat Sbelah, and Sbelab begat Eber.

19 And imto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one wot ■ Peleg; because in hiv days the earth was dirided: euod his brother's name wo* Joktan.

20 And " Joktan begat Atmodad, and Shftleph, and Hazarmavetb, and Jerah,

28 The sons of Abraham: 'Isaac, and •Isbmael.

32 1[ Now * the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran. and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian. and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan^ Sbeba, and Dedan.

33 And the Bons of Midian, Ephah, and Ei>her,

TerwS. Seba, and HavUali] SituU and Hindi, and Somad^ and LAbya and the Zingit^t but Iheoonoqf the Ahuritaniant, Demargad and Mexag. — T.

Veree 10. Hebegan to liemighty upon the eartt.] H» began to be bold in «in, a natraerer tff tho tanoeeiU, and' a rebel before the LonL—T.

Verw 13. Cmoon begai Zidon} Canaan begat Bothniam hie firet-bom, who built Sidon.