Commentary on the Holy Bible

AJ}rr the death of Joshua, the Jsrarliles purpose to altaek the remaining Canaanites; and the tribe of Judah ti directed to o;o up firnl, 1, 2. — Judah and Simeon unite, attack the Canaanites and Pcrizzitcs, kilt one thousand of them, take Adoni-hezck prisoner, cut off his thumbs and great toes, and bring him to Jerusalem zchere he dies, 3 — 7. Jerusalem conquered, 8. A new war with the Canaanites under the direction of Caleb, 10, II. Kirjathsepher taken hiy Othniel, on which he receives, as a reward, Achsah, the daughter ofCahb, and with her a south land with springs of xi^aler, 12 — 13. The Keuites dwell among the people, 16. — Judah and Simeon destroy the Cannaniles in Zi phath, Gaza, SfC. 17 — 19. Hebron is given to Caleb, 20. Of the Benjamites, house of Joseph, tribe of Manassih, &-e. '21 — 27. The Israelites put the Canaanites to tribute, 28. Of the tribes of Ephraimy Xebulun, Asher, and Nnpthali, 29 — 33. The A merit es force the children of Dan into the mountains, 34 — 36.

the death of Joshua pass, that the child rcn of Israel 'asked the Lord,.sa\- ing, Who sliall ^o up for us aj^ainst the Caraanites first, to fight against them?

2 And tl>e Lord said, ''Judali shall go up: behold, 1 have dehvered the land into his hand.

VersP 1. No:c after the death of Joshua^ How long after the death of Joshua this bnppeiivd, we cannot tell: it Is probable that it was not loiii;. The enemies of thr Israelites, linding their champion dead, would naturnllj avail themselves of their unsettled state, and make incursioii> on the country.

3 And Judah said unto Simeon bc i^i'

4 And Judah went up; and the Lord de-

Loid. I Ver<e 2. The Lord said, Judah shall go wp.] They had 'enquired of the L'ld, by Phineas the high-pripst; and he ' had communicated to them the Divine counsel.

Verse 3. Come up —ilh me into mx/ lot'\ It appear*, that ■ the portions of Judah and Simeon had not been cleared

Who shali go up?"] Joshua had left no successor; and, of the Canaanites; or, that these were the parts which were

6 And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him^ and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him^ and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

» 1 Sam. 11. 8. '■ Heb. the thumbs of their hands and of their fed.-

Verse 5. And they found Adoni-bezek'] The word si'o matsa, " he fouud," is used to express a hostile encounter between two parties; to attack., surprize, S(c. This is probably its meaning here. Adoni-bezek is literally the lord of Bezek. It is very probable that the different Canaanitish tribes were governed by a son of chieftains, similar to those among the clans of the ancient Scottish Highlanders. Bezek is said by some to have been in the tribe of Judah. Eusebius and St. Jerome mention two villages of this name, not in the tribe of Judah, but about 17 miles from Sichem.

Verse 6. Cut off his thumbs'] That he might never be able to drazii his bozc, or handle his szcord: and great toes, that he might never be able to pursue, or escape fro/n, an adversary.

Verse 7. Threescore and (en kings] Chieftains, heads of tribes, or military officers. For the word king cannot be taken here in its proper and usual sense.

Having their thumbs and their great toes cut off] That this was an ancient mode of treating enemies, we learn from JElian, who tells us, Var. Hist. 1. ii. c. 9. that " the Athenians, at the instigation of Cleon, son of Cleaenetus, made a decree that all the inhabitants of the island of Mgina should have the thumb cut off from the right hand, so that they might ever after be disabled from holding a spear; yet might handle an oar." This is considered by M\\a.n an act of great cruelly; and he w ishes to Minerva, the guardian of the city, to Jupiter Eleutherius, and all the gods of Greece, that the Athenians had never done such thaigs. It was a custom among those Romans, who did not like a military life, to cut off their own thumbs, that they might not be capable of serving in the army. Sometimes the parents cut off (he thumbs of their children, that they might not be called into the army. According to Suetonius, in Vit. August, c. 24. a Roman knight, who had cut off the thumbs of his two sons, to prevent them from being called to a military life, was, by the order of Augustus, publicly sold, both he and his property. 'These are the words of Suetonius: — Equitem Romanum, quod duobus filiis adolescenlibus, causa detractandi sacramcnti; pollkes ampulassct, ipsum bonaque subjccit Uastw. Calmet remarks, that the Italian language has pre-

7 And Adoni-bezek said, Three- ^^^^:^^^: score and ten kin":s, having: ""their An. Esod.isr. thumbs and their great toes cut off, Annoa'ntci. ° gathered their meat under my table: pij"pp. 6S7. ""as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

8 %. Now ' the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

served a term, poltrone, which signifies one whose thumb it cut off, to designate a soldier destitute of courage and valour. We use poltroon to signify a dastardly fellow, without considering the import of the original. There have been found frequent instances of persons maiming themselves, that they might be incapacitated for military duty. I have heard an instance in which a knavish soldier discharged his gun through his hand, that he might be discharged from his regiment. The cutting off of the thumbs was probably designed for a double purpose: 1. To incapacitate them for war: and, 2. To brand them as cowards.

Gathered their meat under my table] I think this was a proverbial mode of expression, to signify reduction to the meanest servitude: for it is not at all likely that seventy kings, many of whom must have been contemporaries, were placed under the table of the king of Bezek, and there fed; as in the houses of poor persons, the dogs are fed with crumbs and offal, under the table of their owners.

So God hath requited me] The king of Bezek seems to have had the knowledge of the true God, and a proper notion of a Divine providence. He now feels himself reduced to that state, to which he had cruelly reduced others. Those acts in him, were acts of tyrannous cruelty: the act toioards him, was an act of retributive justice.

And there he died.] He continued at Jerusalem in a servile and degraded condition till the day of his death. How Jong he lived after his disgrace, we know not. I Verse 8. Had fought against Jerusalem] We read this Iverse in a parenthesis, because wc suppose that it refers to |the taking of this city by Joshua, for, as he had conquered its ^rmies and slew its king, Josh. x. 25. it is probable that he took the city: yet we find that the Jebusites still dwelt in it, Josh. XV. 63. and that the men of Judah could not drive them out, which probably refers to the strong hold or fortress bn mount ZIon, which the Jebusites held till the days of jDavid, who took it, and totally destroyed the Jebusites. — fiee 2 Sam. v. 6 — 9. and 1 Chron. xi. 4 — 8. It is possible hat the Jebusites, who had been discomfited by Joshua, had again become sufficiently strong to possess themselves of Jerusalem; and that lliey were now defeated, and the citjr

Vv.'^m. ^ '^'xl afterward tlic cliildrtii of All. i;xod. isr. Jiulitli went (lovvii to lioflit airaiiisl

10 1! And.liidiili wont against llic Canaan- 1 ilCH that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name, of Iloliron before icris ' Kiijatli nrija:) and they' slew Slie.sbai, and Aliiman, and 'I'aliiiai. '

11 f ''And from thence ho went afjain.st the inhabitants of Dcbir: and the name of Debir, before ivas Kirjatli-.'ioijlier: |

12 "And Caleb said, He that siniteth Kiijatlisrpher, and takctii i(, (o Iiiin will I f^ive Achsah my daughter to \\ ife.

13 And OthnicI, the son of Kenaz, "^ Caleb '.s younger bruther, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

14 'And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a

field: and she lighted from oil lit, S;?'/^'' ass; and Caleb Haid unto her. What Ao.'K.od. lir. wilt thou P /** I

I.J And she waid unto him, ''fiive " me a blessing: for thou hast given inc a south land; give mc also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

If) II ' And the childrtMof tlie Konile,.M<l^eH• father in law, went up out "of the city of |)almtrees with tlie children of Jiidah into the wilderness of Jndah, w liich //(/// in the south of '.\rad; '"and they went and dwelt among the people.

17 t "And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaaniles that inhabited /ephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was rjdled " Hormah.

18 Also Jiidah took ''Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon w ith the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

itself set on fire: but, that they still were able to keep possession of their strong fort on Mount Zioii, which appears to ha»e been the ritadi'l of Jerusalem.

fioii, or molested by the original inhabitants they united with the tribe of Judah, and went with them to attack ylrud. After the conquest of that country, the Kcnites establi.>.hcd themselves there, and remained in it till the days

The territories of the tribe of Judah lay in the most southern | of Saul, mingled with the Amalekites. When this king re part of the Promised Land, which was very mountainous; i| ceived a commandment from God to destroy the.Vmalekites lie sent a message to the Kenites to depart from among them, as God would not destroy them with the Amalekites. From them came Ilemath, who was the father of the house of Rechab, 1 Chron. ii. 55. and the Rechnbitcs, of whom we hare a remarkable account, Jerem. xxxv. 1, ic.

Verse 17. The cilij zcas called Ilonnah.'] This appears to be the same transaction mentioned Numb. \\i. \ &c. where see the Notes.

though, towards the Kcst, it liaJ many line plains. In some of these the Caiiaanites had dwelt; and the expedition marked here, was for the purpose of finally expelling them. But probably this is a recapitulation of what is related, Josh. I ch. X. 36..\i. 21. XV. \J.

Versss 12 — 15. And Caleb, <f>c.] See this whole ac- ' count, which is placed hero by way of recapitulation, in Joshua XV. 13 — 10. and the explanatory Notes there. i

/flw] For an account of J.nluo, the falher-in-law of Moses, There is a most remarkable variation here in the Septua^int:

The citj/ of palm-trees'] This seems to have been some place near Jericho, which cily is expressly called the City of Palm-trce>, Dcut. xxxiv. 3. and though destroyed by Joshua, it might have some suburbs remaining, where these harmless people had taken up their residence.

The Kcnites, the descendants of Jethro, the father-in- ' law of Mosos, were always attached to the I'iraelitcs: they

I shall set down the verse: Kai -yjy. ty.\rjwou.r^rrty Iwixs njY ra?ay, ovSb rx opia. atnjj. ouJe rr,v A<ry^Kui>x, ouSe ra, s^ia aurijf xai Tr,v AxKxpxy, mSb rx optx ainjj- •n;y AJu/rsr, tvia rx vepurrropix x-jrr,;. xxt i;-/ Kijih fJ^erx lyjox. " But Judah DID.NOT possess Gaza, xou the coasts thereof; neither Askelon, nor the coasts thereof; neither Kkron, northecoasts thereof; neither.Vzotus nor its adjacent places: and the Ix)rd was with Judah." This is the reading of the I'aticnn and other copiesof the Sqjtuagint: but the Alexandrian MS. and the ia the wildi-rncss, and accompanied them to the Promised j text of the Com/>/.</cn«a/j and,<n/.Te;7) Polyglotts. agree more Land. They received there a lot with the tribe of Judah, nearly with the Hebrew text. St. v/ug-i/t/iVi and Proco/Ji.vj read and remained in the Cilij of Palm-trees during the life of i the same as the Vatican MS.; and Josephus expressly says, Joshua: but after his death, not contented with their por- '| that the Israelites took only Askelon and Aiolus, bat did noj

20 ■' And they gave Hebron unto Caleb,^ as IMoses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of AnaU.

21? 'An<i the childien of Benjamin did not drive out t!tc Jebusilcs that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jcbusites dwell nith the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

22 "1 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el: 'and the Lord was Avilh them.

take Gaza nor Ekron: and the whole history shews that these cities were not in (he possession of tlie Israelites, but of the I'liilistincs: and if the Israelites did take them at this time, as the Hebrew text states, they certainly lost them in a -very.short time after.

Verse 19. Jnd the Lord teas Kith Judah, and he drove out the inhabitants of ilw niuuntiiin; hut could not drive out the inhabilants of the vulleij, because they had churiots of iron.l Strange! were the iron chariots too strong for Omnipotence? The whole of this verse is improperly rendered. The first clause, The Lorduas zsilh Judah, should terminate the ISth verse; and this gives the reason for the success of (his tribe; The Lord vjas zciih Judah, and therefore he slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zcphalh, Sec. &c. Here, then, is a complete period: the remaining part of the verse either refers to a dilVereot time, or to the rebellion of Judah against the Lord, which caused Him to withdraw His support. Therefore, the Lord was with Judah, and these were the efl'ects of His protection: but afterwards, when the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, &c. God was no longer with them, and their enemies were left to be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their side, as God Himself had said.

This is the.turn given to the verse by Jonathan ben U~ziel, the Chaldee paraphrast: " And the WORD of Jehovah was in the support of the house of Judah; and they extirpated the inhabitants of the mountains: but afterwards, viiKN THEY siNNr.n, they were not able to extirpate the inhabitants of the plain couiitry, because they had chariots of iron." They were now left to their oicn strength; and their adversaries prevailed against them.

Verse 20. Thei/ gave Hebron unto Caleb"] See this whole transaction explained, Josh. xiv. 12, &c.

Verse 21. The Jebusiles dicc/l zcilh the children of Benjamin'] Jerusalem was situated partly in the tribe of Judah,

2?, And the house of Joseph ^ sent b'.chw. to descr/ Beth-el. (Now the name An.).x..d. isr, of the city before iras '' Luz.) Annoantei.

24 And the spies saw a man "'>'"''• ^"- come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew tis, we pray thee, the entrance into the cily, 'and we will shew thee mercy.

2,5 And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the cdg-c of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.

2() And tlie man went into the land of the riittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: whicli is the name thereof unto this day.

and partly in the tribe of Benjamin; the northern part belonging to the lul/er tribe, (he southern to the former. The Jebusiles had (heir strongest position in the part that belonged to Benjamin; and from this place they were not wholly expelled till the days of David. — See the Notes on ver. 8. What is said here of Benjamin, is said of Judah, Josh. XV. 63. There must be an interchange of the names iu one or other of these places.

Unto this dai].] As the Jebusiles dwelt in Jerusalem till the days of David, by whom they were driven out; and the author of the Book of Judges states them to have been in possession of Jerusalem, when he wrote; therefore, this Book was written before the reign of David.

Verse 22. The house of Joseph, thej/ also zccnt up against Beth-el] That is, the tribe of Kphraim, and the half-tribe of Mariasseh, who dwelt beyond Jordan. Beth-el was not taken by Joshua, though he took y//, whieli was nigh to it.

Instead of ^DV r.'2 bcilk i'oseph, " the house of Joseph," ten of Dr. KennicotCs MSS. and six of De Rossi's have r^^^■> 1:3 benejj i'oseph, " the children of Joseph;" and this is the reading of both the Scpturtgint and Arabic, as well as of tiCO copies in the Ilcxapla of Origen.

Verse 23. Beth-el — the name of the cilij before was Luz.] Concerning this city and its namus, see the Notes on Gen. xxviii. 19.

Verse 24, Shezo us — the entrance into the cilif] Takeo in whatever light we chuse, the conduct of this man was execrable. He was a traitor to his country, and he was accessary to the destruction of the lives and property of his fellow-citizens, which he most sinfully betrayed, in order to save his ojr«. According to the rules and laws of war, the children of Judah might avail themselves of such men and their information: but this does not lessen, on the side of this (rai(or, the turpitude of (he action.

DiJJ'crent places of the promised latid, in CHAP. T. which the Canaanilcs continued to dwell.

*_">"''•• '''■'■. towns, nor llu- inlrcil)itanls of Dor and licr towns, nor the inlial)itants of ibleani and lier (owns, nor the inliahitants of iMci^iddo and Iier towns: but tlie Canaanitcs would dwell in tliat land.

2H And it canic (o pass, v.lu-n Israel was slronp,-, that they l>nt tlx" Canaanites to tribute, and (lid not ntlcily drivi- Ihciii out.

2U It " Noither did Isphraiin drive out the Canaanitcs that dwelt in tlezer; but llic Caiiaanites dwelt in (lezer anioui;- llieni.

30 H Neither did /el)uUui drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the ■■ inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanitcs dwelt ainony them, and became tributaries.

31 H ** Neither did Asber drive out (be inbal)i(ants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Alilabj nor of Atlizib, nor of llel-

place beyond tho land of Canaan, in.Arabia, wliitlier this people emigrated when expi'llfd by Joshua. Tlic man liim-.sclf nppears to have been a llittitc; ami, lo perpetuate the name of his eity, he called liie now one wiiieh he nowfounded Lit-, this being tlie ancient name of Bctli-cl.

Verse 27. Beth-shcun] Called by the Septuagint SxuJtoy- TToXi;, Scj/iliopolis., or Ihv cili) of the Sci/thiuns. Ou these towns see the Notes. Josh. xvii. I'i, 13.

Verse 31. The Amorites forced the children of Dan, &c.] Just as the ancient Britons were driven into the mountains of Wales by the Romans; and tlie native Indians driven back into the woods, by the 15ri(ish settlers in Amerira.

Verso 35. The Amorites uoutd diccll in muiint llcres] They perhaps agreed to dwell in the mountainous country, being unable to maintain themselves on the plain; and yet MCre so powerful that the D.inites could not totally expel them: they were, however, laid under tribute, and thus the bouse of Joseph had the sovereignty. The Septuagint have sought out a literal meaning for the names of several of these places, anil they render the verse thus: — " Aud the Amorites bah, nor of Aphik, nor of Itobob; ncufi' 'i2 But the AsIierilcH " dwell anionc; An. iivkJ. Im. the Canaanitcs, the inhabilanls of Ann»i.nirf. (lie land: for tliey did not drive <>'>"'i'«'7. then) out.

.'J3 * 'Neither did Naphlali drive out the inhabitants of Ucdi-sbemcsh, nor (be iuhabilanli of Heth-analb; but he ^dwclt amon*^ (be Canaanitcs, the inhabitantH of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Hetli sheniesb and of Heth ■ aiialh '' became tribularies iiiito them.

.'if "i And the.\moritc9 foiccd (be cliildrcu of Dan into the mountain: for Ihcy would not sull'er (hem to come down to tlie vallev.

35 IJat the Amorites would dwell in mount Ileres 'in Aijalon, and iiv Shaalbim: yet the hand of the Iioii'^c of Jo'^cph ^ pre\ailcd, so that they became tributaries.

36 And the coast of (he.\morites was 'from '" the goiny up to Akrabbim, from the rotk, and upward.

began to dwell in the hiount of Tiles, in which there are bears, and in which there are foxes." Thus they translate IJeres, Aijalon, aud Shaalbim.

V^crse 30. Alcrubbim^ Of scorjn'ons; probably so called from the number of those animals in that place.

From the rock, and upzcard.'] The Vulgate understands by v"'0 se/ii, a rock, the city Petra, which was the capital of Arabia Felrcsa.

The whole of this chapter appears to be designed as a sort of siijjplement to those places in the Book of Joshua, which are referred to in the Note«, and in the margin: nor is there any thing in it worthy of especial remark. We evory where see the same fickle character in the Israelites; and tho goodness and long-suflering of God towards Ihero. An especial Providence guides their ste[)s; and a falherli/ hand chastises them for their transgressions. They arc obliged to live in the midst of their enemies, often straitened, but never overcome so as to lose the land which God gave them as their portion. We should learn wisdom from what they have suffered; and confidence in the protection and providence of God, from their support: because these things were written for our learning.

Vcvi can be persuaded that adversity is a blessing; but without it how little ihould we learn! He, who in the school of allliction has his uiind turned towards Ciod,

" Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brook5; Sermons in stones, aud good in eiery thing."' 6i 2

An angel comes to the Israelites at Bochim, and gives them various reproofs^ at which they are greatly affected, 1 — 5. They seixed the Lord during the days of Joshua, and the elders who succeeded him, 6, 7. Joshua having died, and all that generation, the people revolted from the true God and served idols, 8 — 13. The Lord being angry delivered them into the hands of spoilers, and they were greatly distressed, 14, 15. A general account of the method which God vsed to reclaim them, by sending them judges whom they frequently disobeyed, 16 — 19. Therefore God left the various nations of the land to plague and punish them, 20 — 23.

ND an * angel of the Lord came up from Giloal * to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers: and " I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

3 And "" ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ' ye shall throw down their altars: 'but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

Verse 1. An angel of the Lord] In the preceding chap. ter we have a summary of several things which took place shortly after the death of Joshua: especially during the time in which the elders lived, (that is, the men who were contemporary with Joshua, but survived him:) and while the people continued faithful to (he Lord. In this chapter, and some parts of the following, we have an account of the same people abandoned by their God, and reduced to the heaviest calamities, because they had broken their covenant with their Maker. This chapter, and the eight first verses of the next, may be considered as an epitome of the whole book; in which we see, on one hand, the srimes of the Israelites; and on the other, the punishments inflicted on them by the Lord; their repentance, and return to their allegfance; the long-suffering of God, and His mercy shewed in pardoning their backslidings, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies.

The angel of the Lord mentioned here, is variously interproted: some think it was Phineas, the high-priest, which is possible; others, that it was a/jro;;/ic7, sent to the place where they were now assembled with an extraordinary commission from God, to reprove them for their sins, and to shew them the reason why God had not rooted out their enemies from the land; this is the opinion of the Chaldee |)araphrast, consequently of the ancient Jews: others think that an angel, properlij such, is intended; and several are of opinion that it was the Angel of the covenant, the Caji-

3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be ^ as thorns in vour sides, and ■■ (heir gods shall be a ' snare unto you.

4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

5 And they called the name of that place '' Bochim: and they sacrified there unto the Lord.

tain of the Lord's host, which had appeared unto Joshua, chap. V. 14. and no less than the Lord Jesus Christ Ihmself. I think it more probable that some extraordinary hurhan messenger is meant; as such messengers, and indeed prophets, apostles, &c. are frequently termed angels, that is, jnessengcrs of the Lord. The person here mentioned appears to have been a resident at Gilgal, and to have come to Bochim on this express errand.

/ will never break my covenant.'] Nor did God ever break it. A covenant is never broken but by him who violates the conditions of it: when any of the contracting parties violates any of the conditions, the covenant is then broken, and by that party alone; and the conditions on the other side are null and void.

Verse 3. / v:ill not drive them out from before you] Their transgressions, and breach of the covenant, were the reasons why they were not put in entire possession of the Promised Land. — See Note at the end of this chapter.

Verse 5. They culled the name of that place Bochim] The word ^'33 bokiin, i'\gu\t\es tcecpings, -or lamentations; and is translated by the Septuagint KXau6ij.uiy, or KAauOp-iuvs;, beisailings; and it is supposed that the place derived its name from these lamentations of the people. Some think the jjlace itself, where tlic people were now assembled, was Shilo, now named Bochim, because of the above circumstance. It should be observed, that the angel speaks here in the person of God, by whom he was sent; as the prophets frequently do. i

All ixoii. i,r. people p^o, tlic cliildicii ol" iHTacI Annoiiiiii- 1. wnil rvcry iiiiin unto his iiilicritaiuc

7 '' And the jxoplp served the Lokd all ilio days of Joshua, and all llic dnvs ofthc elders thai ' outlived.Joslnia, who had ^eeii all the i^icat works of the Loud, that ho did foi- Israel.

H And ''.Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the FiOiM), died, beiii^ an hundred and (en years old.

*,) ' And they huried him in the border of liis inheritance in "I'iinniith hercs, in the mount of Kphraini, <jn the north side of the hill Gaash.

10 11 And also all that "•eneration were leathered unto their fathers:;- and tlien^ arose another f^eneration '[ after them, which "■' knew not the Lord, nor yet (lie works which he had done for

Verse 6. JVhen Joshua hail let the people go"] Tlie author of this book is giving here a history of the people from tlip dlTisioii of the land by Joshua to the time in which the angel speaks. Joshua divided the land to them by lot; recommended obedience to God, which they solemnly promised; and they continued faithful during liis life, and during the lives of those who had been his conleniporaries, but who had survived him. When all that generation who had seen the wondrous works of God in their behalf had died, then the succeeding generation, who kne:s not the Lord, wlio had not seen His wondrous works, forsook His worship, and >\ nrshippcel liitalim and Aslitiii-ulh, the gods of the nations among whom they lived; and thus the Lord was provoked to anger: and this was the reason why they were delivered in(o the hanils of their enemies. This is the sum of their history to the time in which the angel delivers his message.

Verse 11. Scri'cil Uaaliiit] The word 3>Sj"2 baulini, signifies lords. Their false gods they considered supernatural rulers, or governors; each having his peculiar district and office: but when they wished to express a particular '^i'^ limU, they generally added tome particular epithet, as Baal-zephoii, Uaal-pcor^ Uaal-zcbub, Jiaal-shumaj/im, &c. as Calmet has well observed. Tlie two former were adored by the Moabiles i Baal-zebub by the. Ekronites. BaaUbe-

II And the children of Israel did f.; ^ ^l^; f J??; evil in the sijjlit of the IjOhd, and An. K.od i.i served ISaidirn: Annoamr i.

I':! And tiiey "forsook the \j,ui> '>'>"'i'' <**• God of their fathers, which brou<;ht them out of the land of K^ypt, and followed ' other f^ods, of the yiids of the people that icrvf round about them, and ^ bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Loitn to aii^er.

14 "J '" And the ani^er of the I/iud v.a« bo! against Israel, and he "delivered them into tlir bands of spoilers that spoiled, them, and ° he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they ''could not anv lonj^er stand before their enemies.

1.") "Whithersoever they went out. tlie hand ol the Lord was aj^ainst them for evil, as the Lord had said, and *■ as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

rith was honoured at Shechcm; and Baal-shamayim, the lord or ruler of the heavens, was adored among the Phoenicians, Sj/rians, Chaldeans, &cc. And whenever the word liaal is used without an epithet, this is the God that is intended; and probably among all these people meant the sun.

Verse l^. IVhicli brought them out of the land oj Egypt^ This was one of the highest aet;ravations of their offence; they forsook the Crod who brought them out of Egj-pt! a place in which they endured the most grievoas oppression. and were subjected to the most degrading servitude: from which they never could have rescued themselves: and they were delivered by such a signal display of the power, justice, and mercy of God, as should never have teen forgotten; because the most stupendous that had ever been exhibited. They forsook HIM; and served idols, as destitute of real being as of influence and power.

Verse 13. Served liaal and Ashlaroth."] In a general way, probably, Baal and Aihtaroth mezn the tun and moon; but in many crises AMaroth seems to have been the same among the Canaanites, as I cnus was among the CJreeks and Romans; and to have been worsliipj>ed with the same obscene rites.

Verse 14. The hands of spoilers'^ Probably marauding parties of the Canaanites, making frequent incursions in their lands, tarrying away cattle, spoiling their crops, Sec.

Verse 1.5. The hand of the Lord sat against them'] The poser which before protected tbem when obedient, was

Judges are raised up for iheir deliverance. JUDGES, JV/iy the nations were left in the land.

n And yet they would not hearken unto tlieir jndg-es, but they ""went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.

18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then '' the Lord was with tlie judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: " for it repented the Lord because of their groanings, by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed

19 And it came to pass, 'when the judge was dead, that they returned, and ''corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following

now turned against (hem, because of their disobedience. — They not only had not God 2s:ilh them, but they had God against them.

Verse IC. The Loi'd raised up judges^ That is, leaders, generals, and governors, raised up by an especial appointment of the Lord, to deliver (hem from, and avenge them on, their adversaries. — See the Preface.

Verse 17. IVent a whoring after other gods] Idolatry, or the worship of strange gods, is frequently termed adultery., fornication, and tchuredom., in the Sacred Writings. As many of their idolatrous practices were accompanied with impure rites, the term was not only metaphorically, but literallj/, proper.

Verse 18. The Lord kus viilh the judge'] God Himself was King, and the Judge was liis representative.

// repented the Lord] lie changed ilis purpose towards ■them: He purposed to destroy them, because of their sin; they repented, and turned to Him, and He changed this purpose. The purpose was to destroy them if they did not repent; when they did repent, His not destroying them was quite consistent with His purpose.

Verse 19. IVhen the judge teas dead] It appears that, in general, the ofTire of thejudge was /or life.

Their stubborn zoaj/.] Their hard or dijjkull icaij. Most sinners go through great tribulation, in order to get to eternal.perdition: they would have had less pain in their way to heaven.

Verse 20. The anger of the Lord teas hot] They were as fuel by their transgressions; and the displeasure of

other gods to serve them, and to bow *• "'y^''"" down u.ito them; they '' ceased not h.c.His— from their own doings, nor from '''

tlieir slubborn way. 20 ^ ' And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said. Because that this people hath ^ transgressed my covenant which I commanded tlieir fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

I 21 'I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died;

22 '"That through them I may " prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lordto walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

23 Therefore the Lord ° left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Verse 21. / will not henceforth drive out] A« a people, they never had personal courage, discipline, or hardihood, suflicient to stand before their enemies: the advantages they gained were by the peculiar interference of God. This they had while obedient; when they ceased to obey, His strong arm was no longer stretched out in their behalf; therefore their enemies continued to possess the land which God purposed to give them as their inheritance forever.

Verse '2'2. Tlial through them I may prove Israel] There appeared to be no other way to induce this people to acknowledge the true God but by permitting them to fall into straits from which they could not be delivered but by His especial providence. These words are spoken after the manner of men; and the metaphor is taken from the case of a master or father, who distrusts the fidelity or obedience of his servant or son, and places them in such circumstances th 't, by their good or evil co.iduct, they may justify his suspicions, or give him proofs of their fidelity.

Verso '23. Without driving them out hastilif] Had God expelled all the ancient inhabitants at once, we plainly see, from the subsequent conduct of the people, that they would soon have abandoned Ilis worship; and in their prosperity forgotten their Deliverer. He drove out at first as many as were necessary, in order to alford the people, as they were then, a sufjiciencij of room to settle in: as the tribes increased in population, they were to extend themselves to the uttermost of their assigned borders, and expel all the re- maining inliahitniits. On llipsp nccouiiU CImi tll<l not pxpel the nlioriKiii.'il iiili.il)itiint<. Iimtilj/, or at uiice; and (lius gave llir Ixiaolitoi lime to increase: niid by roiiliiiuiiij; llic ancient Iiilial)iliiiils, prevented tlic lund from ruiinin;> into K(htc, ntid llie wild he.ists from niuUipl) iiijj; Ijolli of wliicli must have infallibly taken place bail (iod driven out all (lie old in- Imbilants at once, before the Israolites were sufTicicntly numerous (o occupy llio i^Iiolc of tlie land.

These observalions are iin|)nr(aii(, as they rotifain the reason why (iod did not expel the Canaanilcs. (i'kI gave the Israelites a grant of tlie jcholc lanif, and promised to drive out their enemies from before them, if Ihey coiitinurd faithful. While thi'y continued failliful, Ciod did rontinne to fulfil His promise; their borders were enlarged, and their enemies fled before them. When they rcliellod against the J>ord, He abandoned them; and their enemies prevailed against them. Of (Ids, llieir frequent la|iso> and ndscarriagcs,

M'ilh God'it rcpe.itcd iuterpokitions in their behalf, ar« ample evidence. One or Iko kolilary instances might not be con* sidered as tuflicient proof: but by these uumerout in<>(ance8, the fact is e^itablishcd. Ivirh rebellion against God produced a conse(|uent disu'-ter in their alfairs: each true humili.Ttion was invariably followed by iin especial Divine interposition in their behalf. These afforded continual proof of Ciod's if/;;;', providence, and grace. Tbo nhole lecoiiomy is vToiidron^, and the effects im|)rcA»ivc and convincing. The people were not liaktily put in posseikion of the I'roiniHid Land, hmtuac of their hifuklitij. Cm the infidt-b contrp. vert this statement? If not, then their argument agninti Divine Revelation, from '' the failure of poiilive prumita and ua/li^," falls to the ground. They have not only in this, but in all other re.'pectt, lost all their props.

" Helpless and prostrate all their system lies. Cursing its fate; and, as it curses, dies."

An account of the nations tlnit icere left to prove Israel, 1 — 1. Jfow t/ie people provoked the Lord, h — 7. The^ arc delivered into l/ic porocr of (he king of Mesopotamia, biy zctiom thei/ arc enslaved eight jjcnrs, 8. Olhnitl is raised up as their deliverer; he diseowfils the king of Mesopotamia, delivers Israel, and the land enjniys peace fur forty i/ears,.0—1 J. The// again rebel, and are delivered into the hand of the king of Moab, by xiihom they are (nslaved c'lfrhtecn years, J2 — 11. Theiy are delivered by Ehud, iclio kills Eglon, king of Moab, and slays ten Ihoiisand Moabitcs; and the land rests fourscore yeorj, 15 — 30.

OW tliosc arc " (lie nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

2 Only that (he j^enerations of the children of Israel might know, to teach (hcni war, at the least such as before knew nothinj;' thereof;

Verse 1. Noa tltcse are tlie nations'] The nations left to prove the Israelites were — the. Jive tor fisliipx, or satrapies, of the Pliilislincs; viz. Galh, Axkelon, Jshdod, Kkron, and Oaza; the Sidonians, the llivilcs of Lebanon, ttaalbermon, fee. with the remains of the Canaanites, viz. the Hittiles, Amoriles, Perizzites, and Jebusilcs.

Those who were left to be proved were those Israelites that had not seen all the tears of Canaan.

Verse 'i. That — Israel migitt knoa; to teach them tear'] This was another reason why the Canaanites were left ia the all tlie Cannaniles, and the Sidonians, and tlic Hivilcs that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhernion unto the entering- in of 1 la mat It.

4 "And they were to prove Israel by them, to know wliedierdiov would hearken uulo tlio coinmandnieiUs of the Loro, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

land, that the Israelites might not forget military discipline; but habituate ilu'isselvcs to the Use of arms, that they might alvroys be able to defend themselves against their foes. Had they been faithful to God, tlioy would have had no need of learning the art of war; but now arms became a sort of necessary substitute for that spiritual strength which had departed from tliem. Thus God, in Ilis judgments, leaves one iniquitous nation to harrass anil torment another. Were all to turn to God, men need learn war no more.

Verse -1. To knotc -whether they leould licarken'] This would be the consequence of the CaDaaDitcsi>e)nj left amot^

6 And ''they took their daughters to be their vviveSj and g-ave tlieir daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 ° And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their j

8 H Therefore the anger of tiie | Lord was hot against Israel, and he \ ^sold them into the hand of " Cliushan-rishatliaim king of '' Mesopo-

9 And when the children of Israel b'.c.hos.' ' cried unto the Lord, tlie Lord An. E^d. lar. '' raised up a 'deliverer to the child- Annoantei. ren of Israel, who delivered them, ^"^"^e^^- even '"Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

iU And "the Spirit of the Lord "came upon him, and he judged Israel, and Avent out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of ^ Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.

11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kcnaz died.

12 H ' And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord

them. If they should be faithful to God, their enemies would not be able to enslave them: should they be rebellious, the Lord would abandon them to their foes.

Verse 6. And they took their daughters] They formed matrimonial alliances with those proscribed nations, served their idols, and thus became one with them in politics and religion.

Verse 7. Served Baalim and the groves.'] No groves were ever worshipped; but the deities, which were supposed to be resident in them: and in many cases temples and altars were built ia groves; and the superstition of conseci-ating groves and woods, to the honour of the deities, was a practice very usual with the ancients. Pliny assures us, that trees, in old times, served for the temples of the gods. Tacitus reports this custom of the old Germans; Qtiintiis Curtius, of the Indians; and Cwsar, and our old writers, mention the same of the Druids, in Britain. The Romans were admirers of this way of worship, and therefore had their luci, or groves, in most parts of the city, dedicated to some deity. But it is very probable that the word nnufN asheroth, which we translate groves, is a corruption of the word nnrnTK ashteroth, the moon, or Venus: see on chap. ii. 13., which differs only in the letter n tau, from the former. Ashteroth is read in this place by tlie Chaldee Targum, the Syriac, the Arabic, and the Vulgate,• and by one of Dr. Kennicott's MSS.

Verse 8. Chushan-Rishathaim] Kushan, the jsicked, or impious; and so the word is rendered by the Chaldee Targum, the Syriac, and the Arabic, wherever it occurs in this chapter.

King of Mesopotamia] King of cnnj ai!< Aram iVaharayim, "Syria of the two rivers;" translated Mesopotamia by ike Scpluugint and Vul^ule.

It was the district situated between the Tigris and Euphrates; called by the Arabian geographers A/oye;'««naAer, " the country beyond the river:" it is now called Diarbek. See the Note on Acts ii. 9.

Served Chushan — eight years] lie overran their country, and forced them to pay a very heavy tribute.

Verse 9. Raised up — Othniel, the son of Kenaz] This noble Hebrew was of the tribe of Judah, and nephew and sonin-law to Caleb, whose praise stands without abatement in the Sacred records. Othniel had already sigaalized his valour in taking Kirjath-sepher, which appears to have been a very hazardous exploit. By his natural valour, experience ia war, and the peculiar influence of the Divine Spirit, he was well qualified to Inspire his countrymen with courage, and to lead them successfully against their oppressors.

Verse 10. His hand prevailed] We are not told of what nature this war was, but it was most decisive; and the consequence was an undisturbed peace of forty years, j during the whole life of Othniel. By the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him, the Chaldee understands the spirit of prophecy; others understand "the spirit of fortitude and extraordinury courage, as opposed to the spirit of fear, or \faintness of heart;" but as Olhniel was judge, and had many I oflices to fulfil besides that of a general, he had need of the Spirit of God, in the proper sense of the word, to enable him to guide and govern this most refractory and fickle people: and his receiving it for these purposes, shews that the political state of the Jews was still a theocracy. No man at.> tempted to do any thing in that state without the immediate inspiration of God; the pretension to which was always justilied by the event.;

Verse V2. The children of Israel did evil] They forgat the Lord, and became idolaters; and God mad^ thos.e very

13 And he j^allu'ied iiiilo him the cliildren of Amnion and ''AinahU, and went and Kiiiote Israel, and possessed ' the city of palm trees.

14 So the children of Israel '' served Eglon the kini;" of ISIdwI) eiiihieen yeiirs.

15 But when the children of Israel "cried

people wliom (lipy lind imitatcil in tlieir idolntrous uorsliip, the nic.iiis of tlioir cliiistivpiiiciit.

The Lurd s/rengllwiiccl Es^lonthe king of Moub"] The success he hud agaiiisl the Israelites was by the especial appointniPiitniid eiiersy of God. Ho not only iihandoncd the Israel- ' itcs, but slreiiglliPiied the Moabitps against tlirni. i

F.^lun is suppo-pd to han! bppn thp ininiediate successor of Uala/c. Some great men have borne names which, when reduced to their grnnimatical nieaninir, appear very ridiculous: the word p^JJ? Eglon, signifies a lillle calf!

Verse 13. The citii of jiulni trccsr\ This Ihe Targum renders the city of Jer/cho; but Jericho had been destroyed by Joshua, and certainly was not rebuilt till the reign of Ahab, long after this, 1 King's xvi. 34. However, as Jericho is expressly called the c/h/ of pafin trees, Deut. xxxiv. 3. the city in question must have been in the vicinity or plain of Jericho; and the king of Moab had seized it as a frontier town, contiguous to his own estates. Calmet supposes that the cilj/ of prt/m trees means En-guddi.

Verse 13. Ehud, the son of Gera — u man left -handed'] iff'K M'O' T last ish itter yad yemino, a man lame in his right hand, and therefore obliged to use his left. The Septuagint render it avJia aaif otecoIe^iov, an amhidcxier; a man who could use both hands alike. The Vulgate, qui ulrc'ique tnanit pro dcxtera utebalur, a man who could use either hand as a right hand; or, to whom right and left were equally ready. This is not the sense of the original, but it is the sense in which most interpretprs undorsland it. It is well known that to be an ambidexter, was in high repute among tlie ancients; Hector boasts of it — nil to Ihe Loiii), the Lohd raised «. ('' i:)*^'' them np a deliverer, Khnd the koii Ao. i,u.d. Ur. o( (jiera, ' a Henjainite, a man "^ left- AnnoanirL handed: and hy him the children "')'"P*«'- of Israel sent a jjtesent iiiito Kj;loii the kinjj of Moab.

in Hut Rhud made him a dap:ger which had two cdgC'H, of a enhit leiipth; and lie d;d f^ird it untler his raiment upon his right thigh.

Asteropajus is aloo represented by Homer as an ambidexter / from which he derives great advantages in fight: —

" So threatened he. Then raised Achilles high The Pelian ash: — and bis two spear* at once

We are informed by Aristotle, that Plato recommended to all soldiers to acquire, by study and exercise, an equal facility of using both bands. Speaking of Plato, he says, K«( rrjv ev Tot; irsAeju-iKOif ajT/cijc-iy, iiruis a/x^isefioi y(- youvrai xxrx rijv u,i\eTriV, w; cew u.ri rov aev yij;yiu»*/ fivai raiv yjaw, rr^v Si ayfrjrT'jv, — I)e Repub. lib. ii. cap. 12. " He (Plato) also made a law concerning their warlike exercises, that thpy should acquire a habit of using both hands alike; as it is not fit that one of the hands should be useful, and the other useless.

In chap. XX. 16. of this book, we have an account of seven hundred men of Benjamin, each of whom was fSK U't:' t ittpr yad yemino, lame of his right hand, and vet slinging stones to a hair's breadth without missing: these are generally thought to be ambidexters.

Sent a present unto Eglon] This is generilly understood to be tlip tribute money which the king of Moab had imposed on the Israelites.

Verse 16. A dagger zchich had tzco edges, of a cubit length^ The word noi gomed, which we translate cubit, is nf very doubtful signification. As the root seems to signify cx)n' traded, it probably means an instrument made for the purpose, shorter than usual, and.something like lo the Italian sti/e/to. The Septuagint translate it by a-znaar^s, a. 4/)an y and most of the Fersions understand it in the same sense.

17 And he brought the present unto Egloii king- of Moab: and Eglon icas a very fat man.

18 And vvlien he had made an end to ofl'er the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

19 But he himself turned again " from the '' quarries that zaere by Ciilgal, and said, 1 have a secret errand unto thee^ O king:

tlinarily the sword is on the loft side, that it may be readily drawn out by the right hand; but, as Ehud was left-handed, to be convenient, his sword must be on the right side.

Verse 17. Eglon was a vert/ fat mart] The xnn "vS'}? ish buria of the text is translated by the Scptuagint a.-rf^o areios ir<poop!X,, a very beautiful or polite man; and the Syriac, a very rude man. It probably means what we call lusty, or corpulent.

Verse 18. Made an end to offer the present'] Presents, tribute, &c. in the eastern countries were offered with very great ceremony: and, to make the more parade, several persons, ordinarily slaves, sumptuously dressed, and in considerable number, were employed to carry what would not be a burthen even to one. This appears to have been the case in the present instance.

Verse 19. He — turned— from the quarries'] cV'DD /)c«- lim. Some of the Versions understand this word as meaning idols, or graven images; or some spot where the Moabites had a place of idolatrous worship. As ios pasal, signifies to cut, heiz, or engrave, it may be applied to the images thus cut, or to the place or quarry whence they were digged: but it is most likely that idols are meant.

Verse 20. He was sitting in a summer parlour'] Besides the platforms, says Dr. Shaw, which -were upon the ancient houses of the East, and which are found there io this d<iy, it is probable that heretofore, as well as at present, most of the great houses had a smaller one annexed; which seldom consisted of more than one or two rooms and a terrace. Others, built as they fretjucntly are, above the porch or gateway, have, if we except the ground-floor, all the conveiiiencies belonging to tlie house properly so called. There is a door of communication from them into the gallery of the house, kept open or shut at the discretion of the master of the house; besides another door which opens immediately from a privy stairs down into the porch, or street, without giving the least disturbance to the house. In these back houses strangers are usually lodged and entertained: hither the men are wont to retire from the hurry and noise of their families, to be more at leisure for meditation or diversions; and they are often used for wardrobes and viag(tzines. These the Arabs call oleah, which exactly answers to the Hebrew word r.''7i' alijalh, found in this place j ood, without doubt, who said, Keep silence. And all 'J, (.' J^I^- that stood by him went out from An. Eioj.'isr.

20 And Ehud came unto him; and o'>'"i'i^9: he was sitting in " a summer parlour, wliich he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, 1 have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and

such was the apartment in which Eglon received Ehud, by theprivy stairs belonging to which he escaped, after having killed Eglon. The doors of the eastern buildings are large, and their chambers spacious, conveniences well adapted to those hotter climates: but, in the present passage, something more seems to be meant; at least there are now other conveniences in the East to give coolness to particular rooms, which are very common. In Egypt, the cooling their rooms is effected by openings at the top, which let in the fresh air. Mons. Maillet inforn;s us, that their halls are made very large and lofty, with a dome at the top, which, towards the North, has several open windows, so constructed as to throw the north wind down into the rooms; and by this means, though the country is excessively hot, thej' can make the coolness of those apartments so great as often not to be borne without being wrapped in furs. Eglon's was a chamber; and some contrivance to mitigate the heat of it was the more necessary, as he appears to have kept his court at Jericho, ver. 13, 28. where the heat is so excessive as sometimes to prove fatal. — See Harmer's Observations.

/ have a message from God unto thee'] "j'^K ^h S'nSx 13T debar elohim li alicha, a word of the gods to me, unto thee. It is very likely that the word elohim is used here to signify idols, or the pesilim mentioned above, ver. 19. Ehud having gone so far as this place of idolatry, might feign he had there been worshipping, and that the pesilim had inspired him with a mess-age for the king; and tliis was the reason why the king commanded silence, why every man went out, and why he rose from his seat, or throne, that he might receive it with the greater respect. This, being an idolater, he would not have done to any message coming from the God of Israel. I have a message from God unto thee is a popular text: many are fond of preaching from it. Now, as no man should ever depart from the literal meaning of Scripture in his preaching, we may at once see the absurdity of taking such a text as this; for such preachers, to be consistent, should carry a two-edged dagger of a cubit lo)ig, on their right thigh, and be ready to thrust it into the bowels of all those they addressed! This is certainly the lilerul meaning of the passage; and that it has tio other meaning is an incontrovertible truth.

tlic l)liif!e, so tlial lie could not draw the dn'^jjcr out of liis belly; and ' (lie dirt rame out.

23 Tiicn I'IIuk! went lorlli lliroiij.;li the porch, and.shut the doors of the purluiir upon him, and locked them.

2i When he was j;oiie out, his servants came; and when they saw that, hehold, the doors of the parlour ircrc locked, they said. Surely lie '' covereth iiis feet in his summer cliaiiil)er.

25 And they tarried I ill tliey were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; (hen-fore they took a key, and opened than: and, behold, their lord:tY/« fallen down dead on the earth.

26 And Fihnd escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond (he quarries^ and escaped unto Seiratli.

Verse 22. The hnfl iiho zccnl in after the blade'] As the instrument was very short, and Ei;lon very corpulent, this might rradily take place.

.Ind the dirt came uiit'] This is varionsly understood: eitlicr the contents of the bowels issued through the wound, or he had an evacuation in the natural way, through the /right and anguiih.

The original, n3iTj-\£! parshedonah, occurs only here; and is supposed to be compounded of a^^2 parcsh, dung, andmiy sliadoh, to shed, and may be very well a|)plied to the latter circumstance: so the rutgate understood it.

Verse 24. lie covereth his feet] He is lain down on his sofa, in order to sleep; when this was done, they dropped their slippers, lifted up their feet, and covered them with their long loose garments. (Jut the I'ersions, in general, seem to understand it as implying a certain natural act.

Verse 26. Passed beyond the quarries] Beyond the Pesilim, which appears to hate been the Moabitish borders, where they had set up those hewn stones as landmarks, or sacred boundari/ stones.

Verse 28. Took the fords of Jordan] It is very likely that the Moabites, who were on the western side of Jordan, hearing of the death of Eglon, were panic struek, and endeavoured to escape over Jordan, at the fords near Jericho, when Khud blew his trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and thus got into the land of the Moabites, which lay on the East of Jordan: but Ehud and his men, seizing the only pass by which they could make their escape, slew ten thousand of then\ in their attempt to cross at those ford=. "What

2? And it <aiiie to pass, when he h'.c.'ito*' was come, that 'he blew a trumpet An. i-.j-id. iw. in the ''mountain of Kphraim, and Aimoamcr.

the children of Israel went down

with him from the mount, and he before tlieni.

28.'Vnd he said unto them, Follow after me: for ' the liOKD hath <leli\creil your enemies the Moabites into your hand..\iid they went down after him, and took ' the fords of Jordan toward,M(<ab, and sutfered not a man to pass over.

29 And they slew of Moab at tlr.it lime about ten thousand men, all ^' lusty, and all men of valour; and tliere escaped not a man.

.')() So.Moab was subdued that dav under the hand of Israel..And ''the land had rest fourscore years.

.'jl? And after him was 'Shami^-ar the f>on ol Anatli, which slew of the I'hilislines six hundred men ''with an o,\ goad: 'and he also delivered ■" Israel.

are called here the fonts, was doulitless the place where the Israelites had passed Jordan, when they, (under Joshaa,) took possession of the Promised l.,and.

Verse 29. All lustij, and all men of valour] Picked, chosen troops, which Eglon kept among the Israelites lo reduce and overawe them.

Verse 30. The land had re^t fourscore t/ears.] This is usually reckoned from the deliverance under Othniel; that being a term from which they dated every transaction, as in other cases they dated from the Exodus, from the building of Solomon^s temple, &e.; and as other nations did from [Mirticular events: the Romans, from the building of the cHj/; the MoiiAM.Mr.i)A\5, from the Uijrth, ot flight of Mohammed to Medina;-the Cihiistians, from the birth of Christ, &c. &c. But see the Preface, and the different Chronological Schemes there mentioned.

Verse 31. And after him uas Shanigar the son of Anathy Dr. Hales supposes that "Shaoigar's administration in the West included Ehud's administration of eighty years in the East; and that, as this administration might have been of some continuance, so this Philistine servitude, which is not noticed elsewhere, might hare been of some duration; as may be incldeulally collected from Deborah's thanksgiving, chap. v. 6."'

Slcz: — six hundred men tcilh an or goad] -ipan TsSc malmad habakar. the instructor of the oxen. This instrument is differently understood by the Versions: the f'ulgaie has vomere, icilh the coulter, or plough share, a dreadful weapon in the hand of a man endued with so much •■trennlh:

Observations on the slui/ing the Septuagint has apoLTcoitoh tmv &mv, zsiih the plough share of the oxen; the Chaldee, Sjjriac, and Arabic, understand it of the goad; as does our translation.

1. That (he ox goad, still used in Palestine, is a sufficieiilly destructive weapon, if used by a strong and akilful hand, is evident enough from the description which Mr. Mmmdfel gWes of this implement, having seen many of them both in Palestine and Syria. " 'Twas observable," says he, " that in ploughing they used goads of an extraordinary size; upon measuring of several I found them about eight feet long; and at tiie bigger end about six inches ia circumference. They were armed at the lesser end with a sharp prickle, for driving the oxen; and at the other end, with a small spade, or paddle of iron, strong and massy, for cleansing the plough from the clay that encumbers it in working." See his Journey from Aleppo, &c. 7th edit. pag. 110, 111. In the hands of a strong, skilful man, such an instrument must be more dangerous, and more fatal, than any sword.

It is worthy of remark, that the ox goad is represented by Ilomer to have been used, prior to this time, in the same way. In the address of Diomed to Glaucus, Iliad, lib. vi. ver. 129. Lycurgus i— represented as discomfiting Bacchus and the; Bacchanals with this weapon. The siege of Troy, according to the best chronologers, happened witliin the time of the Israelitish judges.

" I fight not with the inhal)ltan<s of heaven; That war Lvcurgus, son of D' vas waged, Nor long survived. — From Nyssa's sacred heights He drove the nurses of the frantic god Thought-drowning Bacchus: to the ground they cast, All cast their leafij xzunds; while ruthless he. Spared not to smite them with his murd'rous goad."

The meaning of this fable is: f^ycurgus, king of Thrace, finding his subjects addicted to drunkenness, proscribed the cultivation of the vine in his dominions, and insliluted agriculture in its stead: thus, ©LtrjAa, the Thjjrsi, were expelled, jiovtrXriyi, by the ox goad. The account, however, shews that Shamgar was not the only person who used the ox goad as an oft'ensive weapon. If we translate jSovvi:-','^ a carl-whip, the parallel is lost.

2. It appears that Shamgar was merely a labouring man; that the Philistines were making an inroad on the Israelites when the latter were cultivating their fields; that Shamgar and his neighbours successfully resisted them; that they armed thrmsclves with their more portable agricultural instruments; and that Shamgar, either with a;)/o«.o-A i/;«;c or an ox goad,.slew six hundred of those marauders.

3. The case of Kliud killing legion, is a very serious one; and how far he was justified in this actii n is with ail a question of importance; and with not a few, a quc-tion of dlliculty. " Is it right to slay a tj rant?" I, without any liesitation, answer, no individaal has a right to sla^ anv man, except it be in his own 'lefence, when a person atiaik^ iiim in order to take away hi> life. " But may not an^ o! his oppressed subjects put an end to the life of a tyrant?" — No. The state alone can judge whether a king is ruling contrary to the laws and constitution of that state: atid if that state have provided laws for tlie punishment of a ruler who is endeavouring to destroy or subvert that constitution, then let him be dealt with according to those lazes. But no iiidividual, or number of individuals in that state, has any right to dispose of the life of tne ruler but accoiding to law. To take his life in any other way is no less than murder. It is true, God, the Author of life, and the Judge of all men, may commissiou one man to take away the life of a tyrant. But the jiretension to such a commission must be strong, clear, and unequivocal: in short, if a man think he have such a commission; to be safe, he should require the Lord to give him as full an evidence of it as He did to Moses: and when such a person comes to the people, theij should require him to give as many proofs of his Divine call as the Hebrews did Moses, before they should credit his pretensions. " But had not Ehud a Divine call?" — I cannot tell. If he had, he did not murder Eglon; if he had not, his act, however it succeeded, was a murderous act: and if he had no message from God, and there is no proof lliat he had, then he was a most base and hypocritical assassin. The sacred historian says nothing of his moiives nor call; he montioris simply the fact, and leaves it without eitlier obseivation or comment; and every reader is left to draw his own inference.

The life of any ruler can only be at the disposal of the constitution; or that system of rules, laws, and regulations, by which the people he rules should be governed: if he rule not according to these, he is, ipso facto, deposed from his government. If he break the constitution, to the great injury or ruin of his subjects, then he is to be judged by those laws, according to which he must have pledged himself to govern. If a king be deposed on atiy other account, it is rebellion. If his life be taken away by any means but those ()rovi(led by the constitution, it is murder. No pretended, or proved tyrantiy, can justify his being iakeit off in any other way, or on any other account. And what constitution in (he civilized world provides for (he death of the supreme magistrate? It is true, the good people, as they were called, of I'^ngland and France, have each, under a prclenre of law, beheaded their king; and they endeavoured to justify their conduct on (he ground that those kings had broken the constitution: this being proved, they should have been deposed. But by what lute, either of those nations, or of the civilizi'd world, were their lives taken away? Let it be remembered, that the inlliction of the punishment of death, either against or icHhout lais, is murder.

The IsmcUtcs a<rm>i nhfl iia;iiiiist (lod, nnd llirij nrr dclivrrcd into the hntult of J iililn. Icing of Canaan, 1,2. Till 1/ ni/ tilito CI' (/, mid lie niiirs t/j) Dihorili iniil /{nial:, In dr/iirr llinii, 3 — 10. Sorm art- mil of Uib(r, l/ir Ki iiilc, II. Ilurak allncks Sisnii, nipliiin of.tnliins atiii/j, at I fir rhrr hhhon, and fiiiiK hhn a Inlal OvcrUiroii\ II — Mi. Siscrn leaves his chariot, and flie» uicnij on font; inters th< Inil ifJml, the uifc of JJiber., by whom he is slain, while accreting himself in her iipnrliiu nt., 17 — y4.

AND " llic rliildicii (.r lartu'l ii'jHtii <ii(l evil ill tiw sif^lit of IIk- I. OKI), when lOliiKi wns di-id. 2 And ilic Lord ""sold them into th«- hvind of Jiibin Ixinj;- of C'liir-iiin. that r('if;iicd in ■^llazor; tin- ciiplani of wlio.so liost tiHis ''Siscra. wliicli dwelt ill ''Haroshclh of the Gentiles. 3 And (lie eliildrni of I.sraol cried iinlo the I.oiM): for he had iiin*- luindred ' cliariols ol iron; find (wnty years "^ he mightily oppressed the children of I'^rael.

Vcrfe 1. IVhen Ehud i:as detid.'l Why not when Shamgar was dead? Does this not intimatp that Shamgnr was not reckoned in the number of the judges?

Verse "J. J(d)in king of Canaan'] Probably a descendant of (he Jal)in mentioned Jo^h. xi. 1, &c. who had gathered together the wrecks of the army of that Jabiii, defeated by Joshua. Culmet supposes that these Canaanites had the dominion over the tribes of Niiphlhali, Zi-hulon, and Isfachar; wliile Deborah judged in Ephraim, and Shamgar in Juduh.

Verse 3. Nine hundred chariots of iroii] Chtknots armed with iron scythes, as is generally "supposed: they could not have been made all of iron; but they mij^ht have been shod tcilh iron; or had iron sci/thes projecting from the a.\le on each side, by which infantry might he easily cut down, or thrown into confusion. The ancient Britons are said to havt had such chariots.

Verse 4. Deborah, a prophetess'] One on whom the Spirit of God dc^cended, and who was the instrument of conveying to the Israelites the knowledge of the Divine will, in things sacred and civil.

She judged Israel'] This is, I believe, the first instance of guiiaicocrasj/, or female government, on record. Deborah seems to have been supreme both in civil and religious affairs; and Lapidoth, her husband, appears to have had no hand in the government. But the »>rigin:il may as well be translated a zcomun of Lirpidoth, as the'zcifc of Lapidolh.

f H And Dehondi. a pi()[)het("»s, (he wife of lii.pidotli, she judged Israel at that time ^n...,.micL

.■> "And she duelt under the palm <">»'i:if^: tn e of Dehoiah, httween Raniah and I'eth el in mount Kpliiaiin: and the children <jf l.siael came up to her for judgment.

Verse 6. She sent and called Barak] She appointed him to be gencrul of the armies on this occasion; wliicli ihewi that she possessed the supreme power in tlie state.

Mount Tabor] Mount Tabor, says Maundrel, stands by itself, about two or three furlongs within the plains of Eidraelon. It ha; a plain area at the top, both fertile and delicious, of an oval figure, extending about one furlong in breadth, and two in length. The prospect from the top is beautiful: on the N. W. is the Mediterranean; and all.Troiind you have the spacious plains of Esdraelon and Galilee, which present you with a view of many places famous for the resort and miracles of the Son of God. At the bottom of Tabor, westward, stauds Daberah, a small village, supposed to have taken its name from Deborah. Near this valley is the brook Kishon. During the rainy season, all the water that falls on the eastern side of the mountain, or upon the rising ground to the southward, empties itself into it, in a number of torrents; at which conjuncture it ovcillowa its banks, acquires a wonderful rapidity, and carries all before it. It might be at such a time as this when the (far.s are said to Jight against SLiera, chap. v. 21. by brinfing an abundance of rain, whereby the Kishon became so hi:;li and rapid as to sweep aw;iy the lio't <.f Si^era, in attoni-iing to ford it. — ^See Maundrel and Shaic. This mountiiin it very dilTicult of ascent; it took Mr. Maundrel nearly an hcurto reach the top: this, with its grand area on the summit, made a very proper place for the rendezvous of ILirak's aimy. AiUioihus used it for the same purpose in Iiis wars; »nd

^K.c'.mb.' Tabor, and take with thee ten thou- Aii. Exod. isr. saiul meii of the clii'dren of Nnnli-

oiymp^9^ 7 And "I \\\\\ draw unto thee, to the ''river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her. If thou wilt go w ith me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go Avith me, the7i I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surelv go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall "sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 *L And Barak called '' Zebulon and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten tliousand men ""at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Hebcr "^the Kenite, lohich toas of the children of » Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim^ '■ which is by Kedesh.

Josephiis appears to have fortified it; and Placidus, one of Vespasian's generals, was sent to reduce it. — See more in Calmei.

Verse 9. The Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a tcoman.'] Dogs not this mean, if I go with tliee, the conquest shall be attributed to me, and thou wilt have no honour? Or, is it a;;re(Z/c</o« of the exploit oiJael? In both these senses the words have been understood. It seems, however, more likely that Jael is intended.

The Scpluagint make a remarkable addition to the speech of Barak: " If thou wilt go with me I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go; oti ovk oiJa rr^v ri^ipxv i-/ -ri svoioi Kvpio; rof a.yyi'f.VJ u.er sjj.'jv, because I knota not the day in rzhich the Lord tcili send his angel to give?iie success." By which he appears to mean, that, although he was certain of a Divine call to this work, yet, as he knew not the time in which it would be [)roper for him to niakc thc attack, he wishes that Deborah, on whom tiic Divine Spiiit constantly rested, would accompany him, to let him know ichen to strike that blow, which he knew would be decisive. This was <iui(e natural, and quite reasonable; and is no impeachment whatever of Barak's faith. Saint Ambrose and St. jiugustin, have the same reading; but it is found in no MS. nor in any other of the f'ersions. — See ver. 14.

I 12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Ahinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 And Sisera ' gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all thc people that loere with him, from Ilarosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hatli delivered Sisera into thine hand; "^ is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15 And ' the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled awav on his feet.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Ilaroshelli of thc Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not ™a man left.

17 H Howbcit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of

footmen. He had no chariots; his army was all composed of infantri/.

Verse 1 1. Ilobab the father-in-lazo of Moses"] For a circumstantial account of this person, and the meaning of the original word jr,n choten, wiiich is translated son-in-lars, in Gen. six. 4., see the Notes on Exod. ii. 15, 16. 18. iii. 1. iv.20. 24. and xviii. 5.

Verse 14. Up; for this is the day] This is exactly the purpose for whicli the Scpluagint state, ver. 8. that Barak wished Deborah to accompany him. " 1 know not, (says he,) THE DAY in which God will send his angel to give me prosperity: come thou with me that thou mayest direct me in this respect." She went, and told him the pt'ecise time in which he was to make the attack. Up; for this is the d.if in lohich the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand.

Went down from mount Tabor] He had probably encain])ed his men on and near thc summit of this mount. — See the iS'ote on ver. G.

Verse 15. The Lord discomfited Sisera] mrr' ori'l vaiyaliani Jehovah; the Lord <:o:\rouNni:D, threio them all into confusion., drove them pell-mell; caused chariots to break and overthrow chariots, and threw universal disorder into all their ranks. In this rase Barak and his men had little to do but kill and pursue: and Sisera, in order to my lord, turn in (n me; fear not. And when lie Iiail Inincd in nalo her into tiic tent, she covered liini uilh a " nianllc.

1<) And he said tinto lier. Give nic, [ pray tliee, a little water to drink; lor I am thirsty. And she opened ''a I)otlle ol" milk, and "ave him drink, and covered him.

'20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it sliail be, ulien any man doth come and incpiire ol' thee, and.say. Is there any man here P that thon shalt say, No.

21 'I'lien Jitel lleher's wife 'took a nail (»f the tent, i^wd '' look an luunmer in her hand, and

escapp, was obliged to abandon liis ctuiriot. There is no doubt nil tlii.s was done by supernatural agency; (iod sent His angel, and ronfoundcd tliein.

Verse 18. Jacl icent out to meet Siscru^ IK' preferred flio woman's tent because of secrecy; for, according to the etiquette of the Eastern countries, no person ever Intrudes into the apartments of the women. And in every dwelling ihe women have a separate apartment.

Ver.sc 19. Site opened u buttle of milk~\ She gave more than he requested; and her friend.siiip increased his confidence and security.

Veri-e '20. Stand in the door of the tent~\ As no man would intrude into (he woman's apartment without permission, her simply saying there is no man in my lent would preclude all search.

Verse 21. A nail of the lent^ One of the spikes by which they fasten to tlie ground the cords which are attached to the cloth or covering.

He jj^as fast asleep and iccart/'] As lie lay on one side, and was ovcrwhelmt'd with sleep througli the heat and fatigues of the day, the piercing of his temples must have in a moment put him past resistance.

Verse '22. Behold, Sisera laj/ dead] AVhat impression this made on the victorious Barak is not said; it could not give him much pleasure, especially when he learnt the circumstances of his death.

Verse 24. The hand of the children of Israel prospered] *lSn •p^\^ vatelrch-haloch, it itent, going: they followed up this victory; and the consequence was, they utterly destroyed Jabin and his kingdom.

It will naturally be expected that something should be?aid to justify the conduct of Jael: it must be owned that iJje slew Sisera in circumstances which cause the whole nail into his tcmpleH, and fastened it An. j.«ikj. lir.

into the {^lound: for he was fast Annoantri, asleep and weary. So he died, «Hym,...«9.

22 And, hulwild, as Harak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said nnto him, ("fjnie, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her Icnl, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail icr/.s in his temples.

2ii 1i So " God subdued on that day Jabin the kinj^ of Canaan before the (hildren rjf Israel.

21 And the hand of the cinldrcn of Kracl ■^pro.spered, and prevailed apainst Jabin the kin^ of Canaan, until they had destroyed.lal/m kiiifi^ of Canaan.

Ilcb. going wtnt, and wu hard.

transaction to appear exceedingly questionable. They are the following: —

2. That peace was no doubt made, as all transactions of the kind were, with a sacrifice and an bath.

5. Having asked for aa/cr, to shew her friendship aad respect, she gave him cream, and that in a vessel suitable to his dignity.

6. She put him in the secret part of her own tent; and covered him in such a way as to evidence her good faith, and to inspire him with the greater confidence.

7. She agreed to keep watch at the door, and deny hii being there to any that might inquire.

8. As she gave him permission to secrete himself with her, and gave him refreshment, she was bound by the rules of Asiatic hospitality to have defended his life, even at the rirk of her own.

9. Notwithstanding, she took the advantage of his weariness and deep sleep, and took away his life!

10. She exulted in her deed; met Barak, and shewed him in triumph uhat she had done.

Now do we not find in all this bad faith, deceit, deep hypocrisy, lying, breach of treaty, contempt of religious rites, breach of the laws of hospitality, deliberate and unprovoked murder? But what can be said in her jostificatio;! r All that can be said, and all that has been said, is simply this: " She might have been sincere at first, bat was afterwards divinely directed to do what she did.'' If this was. so, she is sulhciently vindicated by the fact; for God has a right to dispose of the lives of Ilis creatures as He plea?es; and probably the cup of Sisera's iniquity was full, and his life already forfeited to the justice of God. But does it appear that she received any such direction from God? There is no sufficient evidence of it: it is true that Deborah, a prophetess, declares her blessed above zcomen; and this seems to intimate that her conduct was pleasing to God. If Deborah was inspired on this occasion, her words are a presumptive proof tliat the act was right; unless we are to understand it as a simple declaration of the reputation sheshould beheld in among her own sex. But we do not find one word from Jael herself, stating how she was led to do an act repugnant to her feelings as a icoman, contrary to good faith, and a breach of the rules of hospitality. Nor does the sacred penman say one word to explain the case; as in the case of Ehud, he states the fact, and leaves his readers to form their own opinion.

To say, as has been said in the case of Eg/on, that " Sisera was a public eneniij, and any of the people whom he oppressed might be justilied in taking away his life," is a very dangerous position, as it refers one of the most solemn acts of judgment and justice to the caprice, or prejudice, or enthusiastic feeling, of every individual who may persuade himself that he is not only concerned in the business, but authorized by God to take vengeance at his own hand. While justice and law are in the world, God never will, as He never did, abandon cases of this kind to the caprice, prejudice, or party feeling, of any man. — The conduct of Ehud and Jael are before the tribunal of God: 1 will not ju-tify, I dare not absolutely condemn; there I leave them, and intreat ray readers to do the like; after referring them to the Observations at the end of (he preceding chapter, wlicre the subject is considered more at large.

The triumphant song of Deborah and Barak, after the defeat of Sisera, captain of the armies of Jabin, ki>7g of

THEN ^ sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the Lord for the 'avenging of Israel, ' when the people wilHngly offered them.selves.

3 ■* Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

4 Lord, ' when thou wentest out of Seir, when

Verse 1. Then sung Deborah and Barak'] There are many difficulties in this very sublime song; and learned men fca?e toiled much to remove them. That there are several gross mistakes in our Version will be instantly acknowledged by all who can critically examine the original. Dr. Kennicott has distributed it into parts, assigned to Deborah and Barak alternately. But his division is by far too artificial.

Dr. Hales has also given a version of it, which, perhaps, comes nearer to tho simplicili/ of the original; but it also leaves several difficulties behind. As these are the two best Versions I have met with, I shall lay them both in parallel columns before the Header, after introducing the general

thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, '^tlie earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, tlie clouds also dropped water.

5 ^ The mountains '' melted from before the Lord, even ' that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.

6 In the days of '' Sluimgar the son of Anath, in the days of 'Jael, '"the liiiihways were unoccupied, and the "travellers walked through "by vvays.

description of this song, given by each of these learned men. These, the Header will find at the (onclusion of the chapter.

Verse 2. For the avenging of Israel] See the Notes, &c. at the end of the chapter.

Verse 4. IVhen tliou zsentest out of Seir] Here is an allusion to the giving of the law, and the manifestation of God's power and glory at that time; and as this was the most signal display of His majesty and mercy, in behalf of their forefathers, Deborah very properly begins her song with a commemoration of (his transaction.

Verse 6. The liighzvaj/s xicre unuceupicd] The land was full of anarchy and confusion, being every where infested with banditti. No public road wa.s safe j and in going

8 Tlicy '' cIkisi* now f;()<ls; llioii 7r«.s- vviir in llic ftiili's: * wiis tlicic a shield or spear seen iimon^- roily tlioiisiiinl in Israel?

11 Tkci/ thai are delivered i'roin the noise

Verse 7. The viUuges ccaseil'\ The peojilc were obliged to live together in fortified (ilaccs; or, in f^re.it numbers, to protect e;ich other iigaiiiit the incursions of bunds of."ipoilers.

Verse 8. Thcij chose nets gods^ This was the cause of all (heir cnlninilies: Ihei/ forsook Jehovah, and served other godf; and tht'ii «a> x:ar in their gales; they wore hemmed up ill every place, and besieged in all Iheir forlified cities; and they were defenceless, they had no means of rcsi>,tiiii; their adversaries: for, e\eu amoit^forlj/ thousand men, there was neither spear nor shield to be seen.

The Vulgate gives a stiangeand curious turn to (his verse: Nova hella elegit Dominus, et porlas hostiuni ipse subvcrtit; " the Lord chose a new species of war, and Himself subverlcd the gates of the enemy." Now, what was this newspecies of war? A woman signifies her orders to Hurak: ho takes 10,000 men, wholly unarmed, and retires to Mount Tabor, where they are immediately besieged by a powerful and well appointed army. On a sudden Barak and his men rush upon them, terror and dis^nay arc spread tlirough the whole Cunaanitish army, and the rout is instantaneous and complete. The I-sraelites immediately arm themselves with the arms of their enemies, and slay all before them; they run, and are pursued in all direclintis. Si^era, their general, is DO longer safe in his chariot; either his horses fail, or the unevenness of the roads oblige him to de>ert it, and lly away on foot: in the end, the whole army is destroyed, awd the leader ingloriously slr.Mi. This was a nesp species of w«;-, and was most evidently the Lord's doings. Whatever may be said of the versiou of the yulgate, (and the H^riac and Arabic are something like it.) the above are all facts, and shew the wondrous working of the Lord.

Verse 10. Ye that ride on ahile afses'] Perhaps jiljrx rnnv atonolh tsecharolh, should be rendered sU't/c, or icetl inhciliilatil^ of his villages in Israel: then shall the I'eople of the Loitn t^o down to the palen.

l.'i Then he made him tliat rernainclh " have dominion over the noljles amont; the people: the LoHi) maile me have dominion over the mighty.

I'c that sil in judgment] fnn by '3E?' yoshebey nl Middin: some hive rendered this, ijc tcho dtccll in Middin.—^ This was a place in the tribe of Judah, and is mentioned Josh. XT. CI.

And zcalk by the trfl'/.] Persons who go from place to ()iace for the purposes of traflic.

Verse 11. In the places of drawing ■stater] As wells were very scarce in every part of the Kast, and travellers In such liot countries must have water, robbers and banditti generallv took their stations near tanks, pools, and springs, in order that they might suddenly fall upon those who came to drink: and, when the country was badly governed, annoyances of this kind were very frequent. The victory gained now by the Israelites put the whole country under their own government, and the land was cleansed from such marauders. Dr. Shai:, in his account of the sta-coast of the Mauritania Qcsariensis, pag. 20. mentions a beautiful rill of water that runs into a basin of Roman workmanship, called shrub tee krub, "drink and be off," because of the danger of meeting with assassins in the place: instead of such danger and insecurity, Deborah intimates that they may sit down at the places of drawing water, and there rehearse the righteous ac(s of the Lord; (he land being now every whore in peace, order and good government being restored.

Go dozen to the gates.] They may go down to the gates to receive judgment and justice as usual. It is well known that the gate was the place of judgment iu the tist.

Verse 12. Lead thy captivity captive] &Iake those captives who have formerly captivated us.

Verse 13. Made him that remaincth] This appears to be spoken of Barak, who is r«presenied as being only a remnant of the people, o^jtnp^m,,ut of ' Machir came down i>ovcriiors, and out of Zebulun they (hat 'Miaiidie tlie pen of the writer.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also '" Barak: he was sent on '^foot into the valley. ' For the divisions of Reuben there xoere great '' thoughts of heart.

16 Why abodest thou ' among the sheep-folds, to hear the bleatings of the ilocks? '' For (he

Verse 14. Out of Ephraim — a root of them'] Deborah probably means, that out of Ephraim and Benjamin came eminent warriors. Joshua, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, routed the Amalekites a short time after the Israelites came out of Egypt, Exod. xvii. 10. Ehud, who was of the tribe of Benjamin, slew Eglon, and defeated the Moabites, the friends and allies of the Ammonites and Amalekites. Machir, in the land of Gilead, produced eminent xourriors: and Zebulon produced eminent statesmen, and men of literature. Probably Deborah speaks here of t\\e past zxars, and not of any thing that was done on this occasion; for we know that no persons from Gilead were present in the war between Jabin and Israel. — See ver. 17. Gilead abode he- Tjond Jordan.

Verse 15. The princes of Issachar'] They were at hand; and came willingly forth, at the call of Deborali, to this important war.

Barak — v:as sent on foot] I have no doubt that Vrjin, without regarding the points, should be translated with his footmen, or infantry. Thus the Alexandrian Septuagint understood it, rendering the clause thus: ti-rw Bccpc.;: fga«rEi- Asf ir£?ouf avrov a; tfc^ xotXccSoi, " Barak also sent forth his footmen into the valley." Luther has perfectly hit the meaning, Barak mit seinen fuss volcke, Barak with his footmen.

For the divisions of Reuben] Either the Reubenites were divided among themselves into factions, which pre- TCnted their co-operation with their brethren; or they were divided in their judgment concerning the measures now to be pursued; which prevented them from joining with the other tribes, till the business was entirely settled.

The thoughts of heart, and searchings of heart, might refer to the doubts and uneasinesses felt by the other tribes, when they found the lleubenites did not join them; for they might have conjectured that they were either unconcerned about their liberty, or were > meditating a coalition with the Canaanites.

divisions of Reuben there were great ^^\ fHf searchings of heart. ^n. Exod. isr.

17 'Gilead abode beyond Jordan: Anno ante i. and why did Dan remain in ships? „_Z!"'*1_, '. '" Ashcr continued on the sea " sliore, and abode in his " breaches.

IS '' Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that ''jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; ' they took no gain of money.

20 ' They fought from heaven: ' the stars

Verse 17. Gilead abode beyond Jordan] That is, the Gadites, who had their lot in those parts; and could not well come to the aid of their brethren at a.short summons. But the words of Deborah imply a criminal neglect on the part of the Danites: they were intent upon their traffic, and trusted in their ships. Joppa was oneof their sea -ports. Asher continued on the sen shore] The lot of Asher extended along the Mediterranean sea; and, being contiguous to Zebulon and Naphtali, they might have easily succoured their brethren; but they had the pretence that their posts were unguarded, and they abode in their breaches, in order to defend them.

Verse 18. Zebulon and Naphtali— jeoparded their lives] The original is very emphatic ninS ViZ^sj 1"in chereph naphsho lamutli, they desolated their lives to death,• they were determined to conquer or die, and therefore plunged into the thickest of the battle. The word jeoparded is a silly French term, and comes from the exclamation of a disappointed gamester; jeu perdu! the game is lost; or, j'ai perdu! I have lost.

Verse 19. The kings came and fought] It is conjectured that Jabin and his confederates had invaded Manasseh, as both Taanach and Megiddo were in that tribe; and that they were discomfited by the tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali, at Taanach and Megiddo; while Barak defeated Sisera at Mount Tabor.

They took no gain of money.] They expected much booty in the total rout of the Israelites; but they were defeated, and got no prey: or, if applied to the Israelites, they fought for liberty, not for plunder.

Verse 20. They fought from heaven] The angels of God came to the assistance of Israel; and the stars in their orbits fought against Sisera. Probably some thunder storm, or great inundation from the river Kishon, took place atthat time; which, in poetic language, was attributed to the stars. So our poets sung relative to the storms which dispersed the Spanish armada, in 1588: —

3'i Then were (lie liorschoofs broken liy (lie mcan.s of the ' |)raiiMiiin;s, ilic pransinps of their mighty ones.

<J.') Curse ye Mcroz,.said the inif^cl of llic LoKD, curse ye bitterly the inhiil)itaiits tliereof; ''because they rame \w{. t>i the liel|) "(if

I'erliaps it moans no more tliaii tliis; liic ////;t' which was measured and ruled by the heavenly bodies seemed only to t'xist for the destruction of the Caiiaaiiiles: there may be also a reference to the sun and moon ".tanding still, in the days of Joshua.

Verse 21. The rivrr of Khhun szcept them r/K'ni/] This gives plausibility io the above conjecture, that there was a storm at this time, which produced iiii inundation in therivor Kishon, which the routed Canaanites attempting to ford, were swept away.

Verse 22. Then -cere the horsehoofs brvkcii] In very ancient times horses were not shod; nor are they to the present day in several parts of the T-ast. Sisera had iron chariots when his hosts were routed; the horses that drew these being strongly urged on by those who drove them, had their hoofs broken hv the roughness of the roads; in coiise(iuenco of which tliey became lame, and could not carry nft" their riders. This is marked as one cause of their disaster.

Verse 2.}. Curse ye ^Icroz] Where Meroz was is not known; some suppose it wos the same as Merom, nigh to Dothdii. The.SV/z'/nc and yl rafjic ha\e Mcrod; but where this was is equallj- uncertain. It was certainly some city or district, the inhabitants of which would not assist in this war.

Curse tjc bitlcrlif] -inx nx curse icilh cursing; use the most awful execrations.

Said the angel of the Ao/jd] That is, Harak, who was Jehovah's angel, or messenger, in this war; the person sent bv God to deliver His people.

Against the mighty.'] C-ii3JD bagibborim, " with the heroes:" that is, Barak and his men, focether with Zebulon and Naphtali: these were the ni/ghti/ nun, or heroes, with whom the inhabitants of Meroz would not join.

.Jael the wif.- «)f lleber the Ke- '"""(•** iiite 1)0, '^ blessed shall she be abrive women in the tent.

25 "■ lie asked water, and she g-avc him milk; she brouolit forth butter in a lor«ily dish.

;2G ' Siie pill her hand to the nail, and liet ric^ht hand to the workmen's hammer; and ' with the hammer she smote Sisera, bHc smote ofl" his shall be highly celebrated as a most heroic woman; ull Uii* Israelitish women shall glory in her. I do not understand these words as expressive of the Divine approbation towanU Jael. — See tlii- observations at the end of chap. iv. The word bless, both in Ilcbrea and Greek, often signifies to praise, to speak zccll of, to celebrate. This is most probably its sense here.

Verse 25. She brought forth butter] As the word HKrjn chcmuh, here translated butter, signifies disturbed, agitated, 8cr. it is probable that buttermilk 'u intended. The Arabs form their buttermilk, by agitating the milk in a leathern bag; and the buttermilk is highly esteemed, because of its refreshing and cooling quality: but there is no reason why we may not suppose that Jael gave him cream. Sisera was not only thirsty, but was also exhausted «ith fatigue; and nothing could be better calculated to slake his thirst, and restore his exhausted strength, than a bowl of cream: and I am surprised that ^Ir. Ilarmer should see any difBculty in this. It is evident that Deborah wishes to convey the idea that Jacl was more liberal and kind than Sisera had requested. He a«ked for Kater, and she brought him cream; and she brought it to him not in an ordinary pi/cher, but in the most superb dish, or boxl, which she possessed. — See at the end of chap. iv.

Verse 26. She smote off his head] The original doc« not warrant this translation; nor is it supported by fact. She smote his head, and transfixed him through tiie temples. It was his head that received the death wound, and the tern, pies was tiie place where this wound was inQicted. The man. ner in which Jael disjiatched Sisera seems to have been this: 1. Observing him to be in a profound.-leep, she took a workman's h<wimer. probably a joiner's mallei, and with one blow on the head deprived him of all sense. 2. She then took a tent nail, and drove it through his temples, and thus pinned him to the earth; which she could not have done had she net previously stunned him with the blow on the head. — Thus she first smote his head, and sccoodi}' pierced his temples.

■*B c! mt head, when she had pierced and An. Exod. isr. gtiicken through his temples.

he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down •■dead.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice. Why is his chariot so long' in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned " answer to herself.