Commentary on the Holy Bible

39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with.Miimelech.

40 And Aljinulecli chased him, and he fled before him, and iiiiniy were overthrown and wounded, evoi nnto tlic entering of the gate,

41.\nd.\l)inieleth dwell at.\ruinah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

42 And it came lo pass on tlic morrow that the people went out into the field; and they told.Vbimclech.

43 And he took the people and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people zccrc come forth out of the city: and he rose up against them, and smote them.

44 And Abimelech, and the company that icas

Verse 31. They fori i/j/ the city agnintl thee.'] Uoder pretence of repairing tha walls and towers, thry were actually putting the place in a state of defence, intending to seize on the government as scon as they should find Abimelech coming against them. Fortifying the city may meao, seducing the inhabitants from their loyally to Abimelech.

Verse 35. Stood in the entering of Ihe gate] Having probably got some intimatian of the designs of Zebul and Abimelech.

Verse 37. By the plain of Alconenim.'] Some translate, by the zcay of the oaks, or oakin groves: others, by the saw

An- Exod. i;r. jn the entering' of tlie gate of the

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and ^ he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and '' beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46? And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house "of the god Berith.

47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount ^ Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that tcere with him. What ye have seen 'me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

of the magicians, or regarders of times, as in our margin. I'robably it was a place in which augurs and soothsayers dwelt.

Verse -45. And soxced it icilh saU.'\ Intending that the destruction of this city should he a perpetual memorial of his achievements. The salt was not designed to render it barren, as some have imagined; — for who wouid think of cultivating a city? but as salt is an emblem of incomiption and perpeluil)), it was no doubt designed to perpetuate the memorial of this transaction; and as a token that he wished this desolation to be eternal. The sowing a place with sail was a custom in different nations to express pe/v««ne?i< desolation and abhurrence. Sigonius observes, that when tiie city of Milan was taken, in,V. D. 1162, the walls were razed, and it teas sozsn zcith salt. And BraiHome informs us, that it was an ancient custom in France, to sots the house of a man with salt, who had been declared a traitor to his king. Charles IX. king of l"'rance, the most base and perfidious of human beings, caused the house of the Admiral Coligni (vihom he and the duke of Guise caused to be murdered, with thousands more of Protestants, on the eve of

51 But there was a.strong- tower "'.>"m>-426^ within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 And a certain woman ' cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to break his skull.

54 Then = he called hastily unto the young man his armour-bearer, and said unto him. Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

5fi H '' Thus God rendered (he wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came ' the curse of Jothani the son of Jerubbaal.

St. Bartholomew, 1572,) to be sown with salt I How many houses have been since soan rjnith salt in France, by the just judgments of God, in revenge for the massacre of the Protestants, on the eve of St. Bartholomew! Yet for all this, God's zsralh is nut turned aisai); but his hand is stretched out still.

Verse 46. An hold of the house of the god Berith.'] This must mean the precincts of the temple, as we find there were a thousand men and women together in that place.

Verse 53. A piece of a millstone] 331 rhs pelach receb, a piece of a chariot zcheel: but the word is used in other places for upper millstones, and is so understood here by the Vulgate. Srptuagint, Syriac, and Arabic.

And all to break liis stiull.] A most nonsensical version of trkibl nit yini vatarils eth gulgalto, which is literally, And she brake, or fractured, his skull. Plutarch, in his Life of Pyrrhus, observes, that this king was killed at the siege of Thebes, by a piece of a tile, which a ■tsoiiian threw upon his head.

Verse 54. Draw thif srcord, and slay me] It was a disgrace to be killed by a woman; on this account, Seneca, the tragedian, deplores the death of Hercules: —

" O ili'iliiMiMiirahlp fatp! n woman is roporlod to liato hcoTi siidior of the dralli of llcrrulps."

AbimPlccli WHS also nfrnul llial if \\c foil (liut morlnlly wounded, into tlic Imnds of his onomiei, they might treat Iiini with cruelly mid insult.

Versp.'lO. Thus (loil ixnilfrcd, iVe.] IJoth tlie frnlriride Aliinu'lpcli, and llip unprinriplod infn of SliPcliem, had Hip iiiii|ui(y \isi(i'(l upon them, of vvhicii tiipy liad iieen guilty. Mfln'x judfimcnl niny he avoided; but there is no esrnpp from the judgments of God,

I have said that the fable of Jotliam is the oldest, and perhaps the licsl^ in the world: and have referred for other particulars, to the end of (he clinpter.

On the ffpiu'ral subject of fable, npoln!»ue, and parable, the Ili'ader will (ind a considerable dissertation at (he end of Mad. ch. xiii. I slinll add but a few things here; and (hey fhuU refer to (he oldest collection of fables extant. These are of liulian on'giii; and are preserved ii\ (he Saiiscrcct, from which they hare been (ransla(ed into ditfereiit languages, both Asiatic and Kuropean, under various titles. The collection is called Ilitopailesa, and the author Veshnoo Sarmu; l)ut they are Known in Europe by The Tales and Fables of Ih'dpnjj, or Pilpnn, an ancient Indian philosopher. Of tliis collection Sir William Jones takes (he following notice: — '• The Fables of Veshnoo Sarnia, whom we ridiculously call I'ilpai/, are (he most beaudful, if not the most ancient, collection of apologues in (lie world. They were first translated from the Sanscreet, in (ho sixth century, by liuzerchumihr., or bright' as the sun, the chief physician, and afterwards tlie vizir, of the great Jnnshincan; and are extant under various names, in more than t<centi/ languages. But their original title is Ilitopailesa, or amicable instruction: and as the very existence of,Eio/), whom the Arabs believe to have been an Abi/ssinian, appears rather doubtful; I am not disinclined to suppose (hat the first moral fables which appeared in F.urope were of Indian or ^V.lliiopian origin."

Mr. Frazer, in his collection of Oriental MSS. at the end of liis History of Nadir Shah, gives us the following account of (his curious and instructive work: —

" In the year 1709, (says Dr. IVilkim) the Kulila Dumna, the Persian version of Abul Mala Nasser Allah Musloji, made in the 5 1 5th year of the Ilegira, was translated into French, with the title of Les Conneils el Us Maximes de Pilpai/, Philosophe Jndien, sur les divers Etatt de la Vie. This tdition resembles the Ilitopadesa more than any other then seen; and is evidently the immediate original of the Fnglih ' Instructive and entertaining FabUt of Pilpai/, an ancient Indian Philosopher,' which, in 1775, had gone through ^z-c editions.

" The Anuar Sohili, above mentioned, about the year 1510, was rendered into the Turkish language; and the translator is said to have bestowed twenty years' labour upon it. In the year 1724, this edition i\I. Galland began to translate into French, and the four first chapters were then published: but, in the year 1778, M. Curdunnc c..mpl.-ted (he work, in three volumes, giving it the name of Lontes el Fables Indiennes de Bidpai et de Lokman; traduitet d' Ali Tchclebj/ ben Salch, auteur Turk: 'Indian Tal »- and Fahles of Bidpay aud Ix>ckman, translated from Aly Tcheleby ben Saleh, a Turkish author." "'

The Fables of Lockmun were published in Arabic and Latin, with Notes, by Erpenius, -Ito. Arastel. l6Jti; and b) (he celebrated Gnliits. at the<-nd of his edition of Eqien'r Arabic Grammar. Lugd. Bat. 1656, with additicial.N'otej; and also in the P'tiiion of the same Cininimar, by Albert Schultens, Lugd. Bnt. 1748, 4to. They are only thirtyseven iu nuDiber.

Of the Ilitopadcsa, or Fables of Vishnoo Sarm/t, we have two very elegant English translations from the original Sauscreet: one bv Sir IVilUam Jones, printed in his Works, 4to. vol. 6. Lond. 1799; the other by the father of Sanscreet literature in Europe, Dr. Charles IVilkins, of the India House, 8to. Bath, 1787, with a collection of very important Notes.

Tiie Bahar Danusli, or Sen of Wisdom, abounds with maxims, apothegms, &c. similar to those in the preceding works: This was most faitlifully translated from the Persian, by Dr. Jonathan Scott, late Persian secretary to his axcellency Wan-en Hastings, published in three vols. 12mo.

with Notes. Shrewsbury, 1799. This is the most correct version of any Persian work yet ofTcred to the public. The original is by Einiiut Ullah. Of the^e works it may be said, they contain the wisdom of the Oriental world; and many of the numerous maxims interspersed through them yield in importance only to those in the Sacred Writings. The fables attributed to ^i»/) have been repeatedly published in Greek and J^atin, as well as in all the languages of Europe; and are well known. Those of Pha'dnis are in general only a metrical version of the Faldes of /Esop. The compositions of La Fontaine, in French; and those of Mr. Gatj, in English, are very valuable.

Tolu judges Israeliweniy-ihree years, 1,2. Jair is judge twenty-two ^yertr^, 3 — 5. jifter him the Israelites rebel against God, and are delivered into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites, eighteen years, 6 — 9. They humble themselves, and God reproves thejii, 10 — 14. They put azraiy their strange gods, and gather tO' gethcr against the Ammonites, 15 — 17. The chiefs ofGilead inquire concerning a captain, to head them against the Ammonites, 18.

AND after Abinielech there "arose to " defend ■= Israel, Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man

A. M. 2825. 2 And he iudsred Israel twenty and An. Esod. Isr. three years, and died, and was buried

Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two

4 And he had thirty sons tliat ''rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, "which are

Verse 1. Tola the son of Puah'] As this Tola continued twenty-three years a judge of Israel after the troubles of Abimelech's reign, it is likely that the land had rest, and that the eneinies of the Israelites had made no hostile incursions into the land during his presidency and that of Jair; which, together, continued forty-five years.

Verse 4. He hud thirti; sons, Sic.'] It appears that there was both peace and prosperity during the time that.lair governed Israel: he had, it seems, provided for his family, and given a village to each of his thirty sons; which were, in consequence, called Havoth Jair, or the villages of Jair. Their riding on thirty ass colts seems to intimate that they

5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

and ' the gods of Syria, and the gods ^'^'"■' of '' Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the g'ods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him. 7 And the anger of the Lord was hot against

were persons of consideraliun, and kept up a certain dignity in their different departments.

Verse 6. And served Baalim'] They became universal idolaters} adopting every god of the surrounding nations. liaulim and Ashtarotli may signif)' gods and goddesses in general. These are enumerated — 1. I'he gods of Syria, liel and Saturn; or Jupiter and Astarlc. 2. CJods of Zidon, Ashlaro/h, Astarle, or Venus. 3. The gods of Moab, Cheiiiosh. 4. Gods of the children of Amnion, Milcolm. 5. Gods of the Philistines, viz. liagon. — See 1 Kings xi. 33. and 1 Sam. i. 2. These arc called gods, because their Images and places of worship were multiplied throughout the land.

"* opprc'HRcd (lie cliiUlrcn (if Isniol cijrlitocii yoiiiH, all (ho ciiildicii of I'-nifl lliat ti)rrr on the olhor side Jordim in the liiiul of (lie Ainoiites, vvhieii is in (lilead.

9 Moreover llie <liildieii of Animoii passed over Jordan to light aKo against Jndah, and aj^-ainstj, Benjamin, and against the house of Rphraiin;| so tliat Israel was sore distressed.

10 f ""And the cliildren of Israel cried unto the Loud, saying, We have sinned against thee,! both heeatise we have forsaken our (lod, and ako served Haaliin. i

11 And the Lord said unto (he children of Israel, Did not I ddivrr jjim ''from the Egyptians, and " from the Amorites, ' from the cliild- 1 ron of Animon, "^and from the Philistines? |

I^ ''The Zidonians also, 'and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, '* did oppress yon; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their

displeasure was inaiiifcted in delivering llicin into tlie hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites. The former dwelt on the aestern side of Jordan; the latter, on the east: and it appears that they joined their forces on this occasion to distress and ruin the Israelites, though the Ammonites were the most active.

Verse 11. And the Lord said] By what means these reproofs were conveyed to the Israelites we know not: it must have been hy aw ungcly a. prophet, or some holj/ man, inspired for the occasion.

Verse 15. tie have sinned'] The reprehension of this people wns kind, pointed, and solemn; and their repentance deep. And they gave proofs that their repentance was genuine, by puttina; away all their idols: but they were ever Jickln and uncertain.

Verse 16. And his soul:cas grieved for the misery of Israel] What a proof of the philanthropij of God! Here his compassionn moved on a small scale; but it was the same principle that led Ilim to give His Son Jesus Christ to be a sacrifice for the sins of the irnoiE zcorld. God grieves for the miseries to which His creatures are reduced by their own sins! Ho astonished, ye heavens, at this! and shout for joy all ye inhabitants of the eartli: for, through the love

I.") 11 And (he childicii <tf Ibiael said unto (he LoKi), We have sinned: " do thou unto us whatsoever " seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.

iC ""And they put away the ''strange gods from among (hem, and served (he Loud: and 'his soul 'was grieved for (he misery of

17 * Then (he children of Amnion were ' ga- (hered (ogether, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves togotiier, and encamped in " Mizpeh.

18 And tlie people and princes of (iilead said one to another. What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of.\mmon? he shall ' be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Verso 17. The children of Amman icere gathered tO' gether] Literally, ihej/ cried againU Israel; they sent out criers in dilferent directions, to stir up all the enemies of Israel; and, when they had made a mighty collection, they encamped in Gilead.

Verse IS. If 'hat man is he that sill begin to fight] It appears that, although the spirit of patriotism had excited the people at large to come forward ngainst their enemies, vet they had no General; none to lead them forth to battle. God, however, who had accepted their sincere repentance, raised them an able captain, in the person of Jephthah; and in him the sulTrages of the people were concentrated, as we shall see in the following chapter.

In those ancient times, much depended on the onset; a war was generally terminated in one battle: the first impression was, therefore, of great conse<iuence, and it required a person skilful, valorous, and strong, to head the attack. Jephthah was a person ia whom all these qualifications appear to have met. When God purposes to deliver. Ho, in the course of His Providence, will find out, employ, aud direct, the proper means.

The historj/ of Jephthali, and his covenant with the Uileadites, 1 — 10. He is elected 1 1/ the people, II. Sends an embassj/ to the king of the Ammonites, to inquire whj/ tJieij invaded Israel; and receives an answer, to zchich he sends back a spirited reply, 12 — 27. This is disregarded bj/ the Ammonites, and Jephlhah prepares for battle, 28,29. His vow, 30,31. He attacks and defeats them, 32,33. On his return to Mizpeh he is met by his daughter, whom, according to his vow, he dedicates to the Lord, 34 — 40.

was '■ a mighty man of valour, and he ivas the son of " a harlot: and Qilead begat Jephthah.

2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephlliah, and said unto him. Thou slialt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

3 Then Jephthah fled '' from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered with him.

4 ^ And it came to pass *^in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah said unto the children of Gilead, ^ Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my fatiier's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

8 '■ And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we ' turn again to tlice

5 And it was Ammon made

children of Ammon made war against Israel,

the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out

6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and

Verse 1. Now Jephlhah ztas — (he son of a harlot^ I think the word r\m zonah, which we here render harlot, should be translated as is contended for on Josh. ii. 1. viz. a hostess, keeper of an inn or tavern, for the accommodation of travellers: and thus it is understood by the Targum of Jonathan on this place s<r.'p"i:iD KnnN ID Nini vehu bar ittetha pundeldtha, "and he was the son of a woman, a iODerw keq)er." See the Note referred to above. She was very probably a Canaanite, as she is called verl 2. a strange woman, nu^K rrtTWi ishah achereth, a woman of another race; and on this account his brethren drove him from the family, as he could not have a full right to the inheritance, his mother not being an Israelite.

Verse 3. There were gathered vain men to Jephthah'] O'pn S'urjit anashim ret/kirn, " empty men;" persons dcs-

be '' our head over all the inhabitants of Gi-

9 And Jephthali said unto Gilead, If ye bring me home _ against the children of Ammon, and tlie Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, ' The Lord "' be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

titute of good sense, and profligate in their manners. The word may, however, mean in this \)\a.i:e, poor persons; without property, and without employment. The versions, in general, consider them a.s plunderers.

Verse 4. The children of Ammon made war] They had invaded the land of Israel, and were now encamped in Gilead. See chap. x. 17.

Verse 6. Come, and be our captain] The Israelites were assembled in Mi/.peh, but were without a captain to lead them against the Ainmonites. And we find, from the conclusion of the preceding chapter, that they offered the command to any that wiuld accept it.

Verse 8. Therefore we turn again to thee now] We are convinced that we have dealt unjustly by thee; and we wish now to repair our fault, and give thee this sincere proof of our regret, for having acted unjustly; and of our confidence in thee.

12 II And.)cph(hs\h sent. nu'ssen<i:er« unto tin; king* of the children of Aniinon, siiyinj;-, VVhul hast thoii to do with me llmt Ihon ait come aj^ainst ine to fij;l)t in my land?

I.'j And tlio kinfj; of the children of.Ammon answered unto llic messengers of Jephthah, ' IJecause Israel took away my land, when they eaine np out of Ki-ypl, from Arnon even unto ''.lahlxik, and unto.Icnian: now therefore restore lliose landa ai;aiii pcaeeaWy.

14 And Jephtliali sent messcng-ers af^ain unto the king- of ll*e children of Ammon:

15 And said unto him, Thus sailh Jephthah, •Israel look not away the land of INIoab, nor the land of tiic children of Ammon:

16 Hut when Israel came up from Egypt, and ' walked through tlic wilderness unto the lied sea, and "came to Kadesh;

17 Then '" Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: ' but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of jNIoab: but he would

Verse 11. Jephthah rcent xcith the elders] The elders had chosen him fi>r their head: but, to be valid, this choice must be coMliniied by ihepeoptc; thcrrfore, it is said, //uf/jco/j/e made him head. l>ut oven this did not complete the business: God must be brought in a party to this transaction, and therefore Jephthah uttered all his zcords before the Lord, the terms made with the elders and the [icople, on uhich he had accepted the command of the army; and, being snre of tlie Divine approbation, he entered on the work with confidence.

Verse 12. Jephthah sent messengers] He wislied the Ammonites to explain their o»vn motives for undertaking a war against Isiael; as then the justice of his cau^e would appear more forcibly to the people.

Verse 13. From Anion even tiiito Jiibbol;, and unto Jordan] That is, all the land that had formerly belons^ed to the Amorites, and to the Moabiles; who, it sccmj, were confederates on this occasion.

IH Then thev went along through A""" ""ii '• the wddcrness, and coinpa'-sed the — land of Ivlom, and the lan<l of Moab, and '"(lime bv the east side of the land of Mimb, "and |)il«hed on the other side of Anion, hut came not within the border of.Moal): for Arnoii was the border of Moab.

19 And ' Israel sent messengers unto Silion king of the.\morites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto bim, ' Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my |)!a(('.

':i() •' r>nt Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: l)ut Sihon "rs'thered ail his people together, and pitched in.laha/, and fought against Israel.

yl And the Loud God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into tlie hand of Israel, and tliey 'smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

22 And they possessed ' all the coasts of the.\morites, from Anion even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.

2.'j So now the Loud God of Israel bath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldesl thou possess it?

Verse 23. The Lord God <■/ Israel hath ditposscsted the Jmorilcs] Jephthah shews that the hrat lites did not take the land of the Moabites or.\mmonites, but that of the Amorites, which tlioy hr.d conquered from Sihon tlietr king, who had, without cause or provocation, attacked them: and, although the Amorites had taken the lands in question from the Ammonites, yet the title by which I>rael held them was good; because they took them not from the.Vmmonites, but ronquerod them from the.Vniorites.

So nozc the Lord — hath dispossessed the AmorUet] The circumstances In which the Israelites were when they were attacked by the Amorites))i.TiiiIy proved that, unless Jehovah had heiped them, th( v must have been overcome. God defeated the Amorites, and made a grant of their lands to the Israelites; and they had, in coiisequeuce, posscs'fd ti.fm for three hundred years, vcr. 26. 6p

25 And now art thou any thing- better than ' Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel^ or did ho ever fight against them,

26 While Israel dwelt in ■■ Heshbon and her towns, and in " Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me:

Verse 24. Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy a-od giveth thee] As if he had said, " It is a maxim with you, as it is among all nations, that the lands wliich they conceive to be given them by their gods, they have an absolute right to, and should not relinquish them to any kind of claimant. You suppose that the land which you possess was given you by your god Chemosh; and, therefore, you will not relinquish what you believe you hold by a divine right. Now, we know that Jehovah, our God, who is the Lord of heaven and earth, has given the Israelites the land of the Amorites; and, therefore, we will not give it up." The ground of Jephthah's remonstrance was sound and good.

2. The Israelites conquered the?e lands from the Amorites, who had waged a most unprincipled war against them.

3. God, who is the Maker of heaven and earth, had given those very lands as a Divine grant to the Israelites.

4. In consequence of this they had possession of them for upwards of three hundred years.

5. These lands were never reclaimed by the Ammonites, though they had repeated opportunities of doing it, whilst the Israelites dwelt in lleslibon, in Aroer, and in the coasts of Arnon; but they did not reclaim them, because they knew that the Israelites held them legally. The present pretensions of Aromon were unsupported, and unjustifiable.

■ Verse 27. The Lord the Judge be Judge — bettceen the children of Israel] If j/ou be right, and zse be wrong, then Jehovah, who is the Sovereign and uncorruptible Judge, shall determine in your favour: and to Ilim I submit the righteousness of my cause.

the Lord ' the Judge ' be Judge (his \°f.- /I'lf' day between the cliildrcn of Israel An. EAod. Ur. and the children of Amnion. Annoanie r.

28 Howbeit the king of the child- "'^'"P;„^ ren of Ammon hearkened not unto (he words of Jtplithah which he sent him.

29 f Then '' the Spirit of the Lord came upon ' Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and JManasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over U7ito (he children of Ammon.

^^0 And Jephthah '' vowed a vow unto the Lord, and.said. If thou shalt wilhout fail deliver the children of xVmmon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be. that ' whatsoever comelh forth of the doors of my house to meet me.

thah] The Lord qualified him for the work He had called him to do; and thus gave him the most convincing testimony that his cause was good.

Verse 31. Shall surely be the Lord's, and I icill offer it up for a burnt-offering.] The text is, rhty in'n'''7i;m mn'^ n'ni veha/yah Layhovah., vehaalithihu olah; the translation of which, according to the most accurate Hebrew scholars, is this: / v:ill consecrate it to the Lord; or, / zoill offer it for a burnt -offering: that is, " If it be a thing fit for a burntoffering, it shall be made one; if fit for the service of God, it shall be consecrated to Ilim.' That conditions of this kind must have been implied in the vow is evident enough; to have been made without them it must have been the vomt of a heathen or a madnian. If a dog had met him, this could not have been made a burnt-offering; and if his neighbour or friend's wife, son, or daughter, he. had been returning from a visit to his family, his vow gave him no right over them. Besides, human sacrifices were ever an abomination to the Lord; and this was one of the grand reasons why God drove out the Canaanites, &c. because they offered their sons and daughiers to Moloch, in the fire, i. e. made burntoft'erings of them, as is generally supposed. That Jephthah was a deP|)ly pious man, appears in the whole of his conduct; and that he was well acquainted with the law of Moses, which prohibited all such sacrifices, and stated tihat was to be ofiered in sacrifice, is evident enough, from his ex. postulation with the king and people of Ammon, -ver. 14 to 27. Therefore it must be granted that he never made that rash vow which several su[)pose he did; nor was he capable, if he had, of executing it in that most shoi king manner which some Christian writers, (tell it not in Gaih,) have contended for. He could not commit a crime which him^elf had just now been an executor of God's justice to punidi in others.

cliildieii of Aininon, " slinll surely I)e uith a very {^rml Mlaiif^litcr. TIiuh

.'J2 f So Joplilliiili passed over uiilotlic children p 34 f And Je|)liiliiili came to ' Mizpeli unto his of Animoii (o lifilit:i!;i(iiist Miem; iiiid the IvOUD lionse, and, htliold, ' liis dini;;iiler eaine rjiit to

33 And he sinole llu in from Aroer, even till thou come (o '' iMiiinith, even twenty cities, and

It hmbecn supposed that *' the text itself might hnye been rend dUreieiitly In former times; if, instead of the words r.Su' in'iT^i'ni /!ci/l offir it a hiirnl-offcriiig, wo road n'jij? Kin 'ri'Si'm / tcill offer ui» {i c. tlie Lord,) a burntoffering: this will make a widely dilferent seiise, more consistnit witli every thing that is sacred; and it is formed by the addition of only a single letter, (k uleph,) and the reparation of (he prunoun from the verb. Now the Icllpr k is so like the letter y ain, which immediately follows it in the word nSiy <J/aA, that the one mii^ht easily liave been lost in the other, and thus the prunoun be joined to the verb, as at presont, where it ex|)ressos the thing to be sacrificed, instead of Ihe person to icliom the sacrifice was to be made. With this emendation the passage will read thus: IVluilsocver comelh forth of the doors of my house to meet me — shall be the Lord's; and I icill offer II im a burnt-offering." For this criticism there is no absolute need, because the pronoun in hu, in the above verse, may, with as much propriety, be translated him as it. The latter part of the verse is, literally, Jnd I ziill offer him a burnt-offering, nSu' olah, not nbil'S ledlah, for a burnt-offering, which is the common Hebrew form when for is intended to be exprest. This is strong presumption that the text should be thus understood: and this avoids the very disputable construction which is put on the 1 I'rtK, in irrn'Si'm vehaolitihu, or I u:ill offer it up, instead of and I will offer ni.v a burnt-offering.

"■ From ver. 39. it appears evident that Jephthah's daughter tsas not sacrificed to God, but consecrated to Him in a state of perpetual virginity; for the te.vt says. She kiteto no man, for this zcas a statute in Israel, 'tst»'3 pn 'nni vatehi chok beyishrael; viz. that persons thus dedicated, or consecrated to God, should live in a state of unchangeable celibacy. Thus this celebrated place is, without violence to any part of the text, or to any proper rule of construction, cleared of all ditUculty, and caused to speak a language consistent with itself, and with the nature of God."

Those who assert that Jephthah did sacrifice his daughter, attempt to justify the opinion from the barbarous usages of those times: but, in answer to this, it may be justly observed, that Jephthah was now under the influence of the Spirit of God, ver. 'J9.; aad that Spirit could not permit him to em- meet liiiii willi liiiiljicis and witli daiif ett: and she was his only child; '' beside ' iier lie had iioilher son nor (Jaughter.

bruc his hands in the blood of his own child; ^n-'. i j.>.,.illy under the pretence of offering a pleasing sacrifice to that (iod uho is the Father of mankind, and the Fountain of love, mercy, and compassion.

it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels:

Dr. Hales has entered largely into the subject: his observations may be seen at the end of this chapter.

Verse 33. Tttenty cities'] That is, he either took or destroyed twenty cities of the Ammonites, and completely routed their whole army.

Verse 34. H'ith timbrels and zzilh dinces"] From this instance, we find that it was an ancient custom that women went out to meet returning conquerors, with musical instruments, songs, and dances: and that it was continued afterwards is evident, from the instance given 1 Sam.xviii.6., where David was met, (on bis return from the defeat of Goliah and the Fhilistines.) by women from all the cities of Israel, with. i singing, and dancing, and various instruments of Biusir.

B.C.H39*' 35 And it came to pass, when he An-Exoi. isr. gavv hcr, that he 'rent his clothes, Annoa'ntei. and Said, Alas, my daughter! thou lymp. 36 ■ j^^^^ brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I '" have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and 'I cannot go back.

S& And she said unto him, IMy father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, '' do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as " the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And she said unto her father. Let this thingbe done for me: let me alone two months, that

Verse 35. Thou hast brought me very Iozd] He -was greatly distressed to think that his daughter, who was his only child, should be, in consequence of his vnw, prevented from continuing his family in Israel; for it is evident that he had not any other child: for, besides her, says the text, he had neither son nor daughter, ver. 34. He might, therefore, be well grieved that thus his family was to become extinct in Israel.

Verse 36. ^nd she said unto hint] What a pattern of filial piety and obedience! She was at once obedient, pious, and patriotic. A woman to have no offspring was considered to be in a state of the utmost degradation among the Hebrews; but she is regardless of all this, seeing her father is in safety, and her country delivered.

Verse 37. I and my fell on. s'\ Whether she meant the young women of her own acquaintance, or those who had been consecrated to God in the same way, though on different accounts, is not quite clear; but it is likely she means her own companions: and her going up and doiem upon the mountains may signify no more than her paying each of them a visit at their own houses, previously to her being shut up at the tabernacle: and this visiting of each, at their own home, might require the space of ttso months. This, I am inclined to think, is the meaning of this difficult clause.

Verse 39. And she Icnezc no man^ She continued a virgin all' the days of her life.

Verse 40. To lament the daughter of Jephthah'} I am satisfied that this is not a correct translation of the original nna' naS nunS ktannoth le.bath yipMach, llonhigant translates the whole verse thus: Sed iste mos upud Israel invaluit, ut virgines Israel, iemporibus diversis, irent ad fdium Jepthe — ut earn t/uotunnis dies qualuor. consolarentur; '• But this custom prevailed in In:iel, that the virgins of Israel went at different times, four days in the year, to the daughter of

1 may ^ ^o up and down upon the B.c.im' mountains, and bewail my virginity. An. Exod. isr.

months, that she returned unto her father, who j^did with her according to his vow which he had

vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a

''to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Jephthah, that they might comfort her." This verse also gives evidence that the daughter of Jephthah was not sacrificed: nor does it appear that the custom, or statute referred to here, lasted after the death of Jephthah's daughter.

The following is Dr. Hales' Exposition of Jephthah's vow: —

" When Jephthah went forth to battle against the Ammonties, he vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said. If thou wilt surely give the children of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatsoever cometh out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall either be the Lord's, or I mill offer it up (for) a burnt-offering, Judg. xi. 39, 30. According to this I rendering of the two conjunctions, 1 vau, in the last clause, ' either,' or, which is justified by the Hebrew idiom: thus, ' He that curseth his father and his mother,' Exod. xxi. 17. is necessarily rendered disjunctively, (' His father or his mother.') by the Septuagint, Vulgate, Chatdce, and English, confirmed by Matt. xv. 4. (the paucity of connecling particles in that language, making it necessary that this conjunction should often be understood disjunctively,) the vow consisted of two parts: 1. That \i\\ixt person soever met him should be tue Lord's, or be dedicated to His service; and, 2. That what beast soever met him, (if clean,) should be offered up for a burnt-offering unto the Lonn.

"This rendering, and (his interpretation, is warranted by the Levitical law about vows.

" The "nj neder, or vozc, in general, included eitiier persons, beasts, or things, dedicated to the Louo for pious uses; which, if it was a simple vow, was redeemable at certain prices, if the person repented of his vow, and wished to commute it for money, according to the age or sex of the person, Lev, xxvii. 1 — 8.: this was a wise regulation t»

on JtjjId/iahUi vow.

remedy rniih vows. But if llic vow was acx'ompaiiied with C2in clwrem, <levolfi>irtil, it wiis irrcderinuble, as in (lie following (Bso, liPV. xxvii. UH.

" Nutwi(listaii<li[i(;, no dcvolomcnt, wliicli a. man nliiill devote unto Tin; Loud, (cither) of man, or beast, or o( land iif Ids oicn proper! ij, shall be sold or redeemed. I'lvery tiling devoted is most holy uiilo the Lord.

" Here the three i vans, in the original, should necessarily be rrndored disjunctively; or, as the last actually is in our translation; because there are three distinct subjects of dovoleineiit to be njiplied to distiiirl usU", (lie man to be dedicated to the serviee of the Lord, as Samuel, by liin mother Hanniih, I Sam. i. 11.; the cattle, if clean, such as oxen, sheep, goutt, turtle doves, oi pif^enns, to be sacrificed; and, if unclean, as eamets, horses, nsics, to be employed for carrying burdens in the service of the tabernacU", or temple; and the lands to bo sacred property.

" This law, therefore. oxpressh applied in its first branch to Jephthuh's rase, who had dcroled his daughter to the Lord; or, opened his inoulh to the Lord, and therefore could nut go duck; as he declared in his grief, at seeing his daughter, and only child, coming to meet him with timbrels and dances: she was, thoiefore, necessarily devoted, but with her own consent, topeipelual virginifj/\ii the service of the tabernacle, chap. xi. 30, ^<7.; and such service was customary, for, in the division of the spoils taken in the first Midiniiitc war, of the whole number of captive virgins, the Lord's tribute 7cas thirty ■licii person^.. Numb. xxxi..'55 — 10. This instance appears to be decisive of the nature of her devotement.

" Her father's extreme grief on the occasion, and her requisition of a respite for two months to bezcail her virginity, are both perfcctl) natural. Having no otlier issue, he could only look forward to the extinction of his name or family; and a state of celibaiy, which is reproachful among women every where, was peculiarly so among the Israelites; and was, therefore, no ordinary sacrifice on her part: who, though she generously gave up, could not but regret, the loss of becoming ' a mother in Israel.' And he did zcith her according to his vozc, which he had lowed; and ' she knew no man,' or remained a virgin all her life. ver. 34 — 39.

" There was also another case of devotement, which was irredeemable, and follows the fomier. Lev. xxvii. '19. This case differs materially from the former.

" 1. It is confined to persoss devoted, omitting beasts and lands. 2. It does not relilc to private property, as in <hc foregoing. And, 3. The subject of it was to be utterly </e- *^r())yc(/, instead of being most holy unto the Lord. This law, therefore, related to aliens, or public enemies devoted to destruction cither by God, the people, or by the magistrate. Of all these we have instances in Scripture.

" 1. The Amalekites and Canaanitcs were devoted by God Himself. Saul was, therefore, guilty of a breach of this law for sparing Agag, the king of the Amalekites, as Samuel reproached him, 1 Sam. xxv. 23. ' And Samuel hewed Ai;ag in pieces before the Lord;' not as a sacrifice^ according to ^'o//a/7c; but as a criminal, whose sword had

made many women cliildletis. iiy Lliit law, the.Midiaultc women, who had been upared in buttle, were slain, \uml>. xxxi. 11, 17.

'* 2. In mount //or, when the Israelitet were attacked by Arad, king of the buuthern Canuuiiitoii, who took tome of them prisoners, thry vowed a vow unto 'rni: Loitu that they would utt( rly <lestroy the Canaunitet and their ciliirs, if the Lord should deliver them into (heir hand, which Tiit Loku ratified; whence the place was called llormuii, becaotc the vow was accompanied by chcrem, or devotement to destruction, Numb. xxi. 1 — 3. and the vow was accunipli'shed, Judg. i. 17.

" 3. In the Philisline war Saul adjured the people, and cursed any one who should taste food (ill the evening. His own son, Jonathan, inadvertently ate a honeycomb, not knowing his father's oath, for which.Sou/ sentenced him to die. Uut the people interposed, and rescued him, for hit public services: thus assuming the power of ditjieniing, in their collective ca|>acity, with an unreasonable oath. This latter case, therefore, is utterly irrelative to Jcphthah'i vow, which did not regard a foreign enemy, or a domestic transgressor, devoted to destruction; but, on the contrary, was a vow of thanksgiving; and, tliereforc, properly came under the former case. And, (hat Jephthah could not possibly have sacrificed his daughter (according to the vulgar opinion,) may ajjpear from (he following considerations: —

" 1. The sacrifice of children to.Mo/ocA was an abomination to the Lord, of which, in numberless passages, he expresses His detestation; and it was prohibited by an express law, under pain of death, as a dcjilemenl of God's lanctuary, and a profanation of his holy name. Iy?v. xxii. 2, 3. Such a sacrifice, therefore, unto the J>nrd Him-elf, must be a still higher abomination; and there is no precedent of any such under the law, in the Oi.n Tr.sT.\MENT.

" 2. The case of Isaac, before the law, is irrelevant, for Isaac was not sacrificed; and it was only proposed for a trial of Abraham's faith.

" 3. No father, merely by his own authority, could put an offending (much less an innocent) child to death, upon any account, without the sentence of the magistrate, Deut. xxi. 18 — 21. and the consent of the people, as in Jonathan's case.

" 4. The Mischna, or traditional law of the Jews, is pointedly against it, ver. 212. ' If a Jew should devote his son or daughter, his man or maid-servant, who are llebrez:s, the devotement would be void; because no man can devote zehal is not his ozcn, or rthose life he has not the absolute di.'pusal of* These arguments appear to be decisive against the sacrifice; and (hat Jephthah could not have devoted his daughter to celibacy, against her will, is evident from the history, and from the high estimation in which she was always held by the daughters of Israel for her filial duty and her hapless fate; which they celebrated by a regular anniversary commemoration, four days in the year." Judges xi. 40. — A«r Analysis of Chronology, Vol. III. pag. 319.

The celebrated sacrifice of Ipbigenia has been supposed by many learned men to be a fable founded on this account of Jpphthah's daughter; and M. De Lavaur, Conference de la Fable avcc VHistoire Sainte, has thus traced the parallel: —

" The fable of Iphigenia, offered in sacrifice by Agamemnon, her father, sung by so many poets, related after them by so many historians, and celebrated in the Greek and French theatres, has been acknowledged by all those who knew the Sacred Writings, and who have paid a particular attention to them, as a changed copy of the history of the daughter of JejMhak, offered in sacrifice by her father. Let us consider the several parts particularly, and begin with an exposition of the original, taken from the 9th chapter of the Book of Judges.

" The sacred historian informs us, that Jephthah, the son of Gileud, was a great and valiant captain. The Israelites, against whom God was irritated, being forced to go to war with the Ammoniles (nearly about the time of the siege of Troy) assembled themselves together to oblige Jephthah to come to their succour, and chose him for their captain against the Ammonites. He accepted the command on condition that, if God should give him the victory, they would acknowledge him for their prince. This they promised by oath; and all the people elected him in the city of Mizpeh, in the tribe of Judah. lie first sent ambassadors to the king of the Ammonites, to know the reason why he had committed so many acts of injustice, and so many ravages on the coasts of Israel. The other made a pretest of some ancient damages his people had suffered by the primitive Israelites, to countenance the ravages he committed; and would not accord with the reasonable propositions made by the ambassadors of Jephthah. Having now supplicated the Lord, and being filled with His Spirit, he marched against the Ammonites; and being zealously desirous to acquit himself nobly, and to ensure the success of so important a war, he made a vow to the Lord to offer in sacrifice, or as a burntoffering, the first thing that should come out of the house to meet him, at his return from victory.

" He then fought with, and utterly discomfited, the Ammoniles; and returning victorious to his house, God so permitted it, that his only daughter was the first who met him. Jephthah was struck with terror at the sight of her; and, tearing his garments, he exclaimed, Alas! alas! my daughter, thou dost exceedingly trouble me; for 1 have opened my mouth against thee, unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. Jlis daughter, full of courage and piety, understanding the

" Several of the Rabbins, and many very learned Christian expositors, believe that Jephthuh's daughter was not really sacrificed; but that her virginity was consecrated to God, and she separated from all connection with the world; which, indeed, seems to be implied in the sacred historian's account: — And she knew no man. This was a kind of mysterious death, because it caused her to lose all hope of the glory of a posterity from which the Alcssiah migtit descend. From this originated the custom, observed afterwards in Israel, that on a certain season of the year the virgins assembled themselves on the mountains to bewail the daughter of Jephthah, for the space of four days. Let us now consider the leading characters of the fable of Iphigeniu. According to good chronological reckonings, the time of the one and of the other very nearly agree. The opinion, that the name of Iphigenia is taken from the daughter of Jephthah, appears well founded: yea, the conformity is palpable. By a very inconsiderable transposition Iphigenia makes Iphthygenia, which signifies, literally, the daughter of Jephthah. Agamemnon, who is described as a valiant warrior and admirable captain, was chosen by the Greeks for their prince and genercd against the Trojans, bj the united consent of all Greece, assembled together at Aulis, in Bceotia.

" As soon as he had accepted the command, he sent ambassadors to Priam, king of Troy, to demand satisfaction for the rape of Helen, of which the Greeks complained. The Trojans refusing to grant this, Agamemnon, to gaia over to his side the gods, who appeared irritated against the Greeks, and opposed to the success of their enterprize, after having sacrificed to them, went to consult their interpreter Chalchas, who declared that the gods, and particularly Diana, would not be appeased but by the sacrifice of Iph,i'. genia, the daughter of Agamemnon.

" Cicero, in his Offices, says, that Agamemnon, in order to engage the protection of the gods in his war against the Trojans, vowed to sacrifice to them the most beautiful of all that should be born in his kingdom; and as it was found that his daughter Iphigenia surpassed all the rest in beauty, he believed himself bound by his vow to sacrifice her. Cicero condemns this; rightly judging, that it would have been a lesser evil to have falsified his vow, than to have committed parricide. This account of Cicero renders the fable entirelyconformable to the hirtory.

Agamemnon was at first struck with and troubled at this order, nevertheless consented to it; yet afterwards regretted the loss of his daughter. He is represented hy the poets as

purport of his vow, exhorted him to accomplish what he had deliberating, and being in doubt, whether the gods could vowed to the Lord, which to her would be exceedingly 1 1 require such a. parricide: but, at last, a sense of his duty agreeable, seeing the Lord had avenged him of his and his ' and honour overcame his paternal affection; and his daughcountry's enemies; desiring liberty only to go on the moun- ter, who had warmly exhorted him to fulfil his vow to the tains with her companions, and to bewail the dishonour with gods, was led to the altar amidst the lamentations of her which sterility was accompanied in Israel; because each companions; us Ovid iuxd Euripides teVdtc, see Me<. lib. 13. hoped to see the Messiah born of his or her family. Jephthah \ " Some authors have thought she really was sacrificed; could not deny her this request. She accordingly went; and but others, more humane, say, she was caught up in a cloud at the end of two months returned, and put herself into the by the gods who, contented with the intended sacrifice, subhands of her father, who did with her according to his vow.)i stituted a /ji«rf in her place, with which the sacrifice wa?

"The chronolduy of (imoi so rcmolc cannot, in mnnj' rcspccli, hut ho uncortaiti. IJnth llin (iri-tkf and Jluiniiui f-rant, thai thoro was nolhin^ t'lso than fahlos hrforo the lirsl (}fi/iiil>tmt; the h-uinnini; of which was at Irast four liun- I dio<l and fifty years after the drstruction of 7';oy, and two hiinilrrd iind forty yrnrs nftor Solomon. As to fhn tiinp of Siili'iiion, nolliiu'; can bo mnro cortaiii than what is rclaird in the sixth chaptpr of the first Book of Kini^s, that from the Roing out of Fj^ijpt, under Moses, till the time in which he began to Imild (lie trin(ilo, was four liundrcd and eighty

" Ar<orditi|5 to the common opinion, the takinj; of 'J'roi/ is placed one hundred and ei(;lily years before the reif(n of Solomon; but his reit;ii precrdi-d Homer three centuriei, arcordiiif{ to some learned men, and always at least one ctnlurj/ by those who related it loweht. Indeed, there ii imirli uncertainty in fixing the Pxprrts time in which Homer nourished.

" Paiisanias found go much difference roncerning Ihh in author<, that he wan at a loss how to jiid(»e of it. However, it is suilicient for us, (hat it was granted, that Solomon wos at least a century before Homer, who wrote more than two centuries after the taking of Troy, and who is the moit ancient historian of this famous siege."

77/r EphraimiUs arc incensed agaitisl Jcphlhah, because he did not call them to the war against the A)nmonitcs; inul thnalcn his dislriKiian, i. He vindicates himself, 2,3. And arms the Gileadites against the mt n of Ephraim; thei/ft:;hl against them, and /all foviy-two thoii-^and Ephraimites at the passages of Jordan, 4 — (). Jcphlhah dies, having judged Israel six j/ears, 7. Ihzan judge se\en j/ears, 8. I/is posteriti/ and diath, 9, JO. Elon judge ten i/ears, and dies, 11,12. Ahdon judge c\g\\i years, 13. His posterity/ and death, 14,1.3.

AND " tlic lut'ii of Kpliraim '' f^iitlicrcd tlicni.«clvt's togetlu-r, iiiid went nortlnvard, and said unto JcpliUiali, ^^'iu•l•t•in^•e pa^sedst (lioii over lo fip^lit againsil (he childien of Aniinon, and did.st no( tall us (o s^o with thee? wc will I)urn (hine house upon thoc with fire. 2 And Jephdiaii said unto llu'iii, 1 and my people were at great strife with (he ehildien of Aininon; and when 1 called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.

Verse 1. The men of E/diraim gathered themselves together'] pV^^ vai/ilsack; they called each otiicr lo arms; summoning all their tribe and friends to arm themselves to destroy Jephthah and the Gileadites, being jealous lest they should acquire too much power.

Verse 3. I put my life in my hands] I exposed myself to (he greatest dilficullies and daiii;i'r<. Hut whence did thi> form of speech arise? Probably from a man's laying hold of his sword, spear, or bow. " This is the defender of my life; on this, and my proper use of it, my life depends." When a man draws his sword against his foe, his enemy will naturolly aim at liis life; and bis sword iu his Land is then his sole dc-

3 And when 1 saw that ye delivered me not, I ' put my life in my A" ^^- •»'^' liands, and passed over ao-ain?t the children of Animon, and llie ].,(jni) delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me (his day, to flight against nie-

4 Then Jephthah gathered together all (he men of Gilcad, and (ought \\\ih Kphraim: and the men of (iilead Miiote Kphiiiiin, because (hey said. Ye "^ Ciileadites arc lugilivcs of Ephraim

fence. It is now, fight and conquer, or die. Thus Jephthah took his life in his hand. This phrase occurs in some other places of Scripture, see 1 Sam. xix. 6. xxriii. 21. And the words of the Conqueror, Isa. Ixiii. 5. seem to confirm the above view of the subject: / looked, and there was none to help; and I icondcrcd there was none to uphold; therefore, mine ozcn arm brought sahalion unto me: i. e. liv mine own arm I saved my life, and brought destruction on mine enemies.

Verse 4. And /ought:ci/h Ephraim'] Some commentators suppose that there were ls:o battles in which the Ephraimites were defeated; (he first, mentioned iu the abore clause; and the second, occasioned by the taunting language

oiymp.^ passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said. Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him. Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said. Nay,

6 Then said (hey unto him. Say now '' Shib-

mentioned in the conclusion of the verse: Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim. Where the point of this reproach lies, or what is the reason of it, cannot be easily ascertained.

Verse 6. Sajj now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth] The original dift'ers only in the first letter d samech, instead of u sheen; rh^D ncS'l rh2U W nOK emai- na Shibboleth, vaiyomer Sibboleth. The difference between ar seen, without a point, which when pointed is pronounced sheen, and sumech D, is supposed by many to be imperceptible. But there can be no doubt there was, to the ears of a Hebrew, a most sensible distinction. Most Europeans, and, indeed, most who have written grammars of the language, perceive scarcely any difference between tiie Arabic ^^^ seen, and c sicad: but as both those letters are rf«/?c«^, not only in Arabic but in Hebrew, the difference of enunciation must be such as to be plainly perceivable by the ear; else it would be impossible to determine the root of a word into which either of these letters entered, except by guessing, unless by pronunciation the sounds were distinct. One to whom the Arabic is vernacular, hearing a native speak, discerns it in a moment; but the delicate enunciation of the characteristic difference between those letters, \t; sheen, and D samech, and ^Jl sheen, and ^ szead, is seldom caught by a European. Had there been no distinction between the iee« and samech but what the Masoretic point gives now, then 0 samech would not have been used in the word rhzD sibboleth, but w seen, thus nbau/: but there must have been a very remarkable difference in the pronunciation of the Ephraimites, when instead of nSaa^ shibboleth, an ear of corn, (see Job xxiv.24.) they said nS30 sibboleth, which signifies a burthen: Exod. vi. G. and a heavy burthen were they obliged to bear, who could not pronounce this test letter. It is likely that the Ephraimites were, in reference to tlie pronunciation of sh, as different from the Gileadites as the people in some parts of the north of I'/ugland are, in the pronunciation of the letter R, from all the other inhabitants of the land. The sound of th cannot be pronounced by the Persians in general; and yet it is a common sound among the Arabians. To this day, multitudes of tin- German Jews cannot pronounce n ih, but put s$ in the stead of it: thus, for ri'3 bcilh (a house), they say bess, boleth: and he said Sil)boleth: for ^B.c.im" he could not frame to pronounce ^n. k^oa. ut. it rignt. Then they took him, and Annoaiitc i. sh-w himat the passages of Jordan: oiyv^v^sax and tliere fell at tliat time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

7 H And Jephlhah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Mr. Richardson, in his " Dissertation on the Languages, Literature, and Manners, of the Eastern Nations," prefixed to his Persian and Arabic Dictionary, p. ii. 4to edition, makes some observations on tlie different dialects which prevailed in Arabia Felix, the chief of which were the Ilamyaret and Koreish; and, to illustrate the point in hand, he produces the following story from the Mohammedan writers: — " An envoy from one of the feudatory states, having been sent to the tobba (the sovereign), that prince, when he was introduced, pronounced the word T'heb, which in the Ilc/nijarct implied Jle seated: unhappily it signified, in the native dialect of the ambassador, precipitate thyself; and he, with a singular deference for the orders of his sovereign, threw himself instantly from the castle wall and perished." Though the Ephraimites had not a different dialect, they had, it appears, a different pronunciation, which confounded, to others, letters of the same organ; and thus produced not only a different sound, but even an opposite meaning. This was a sufficient test to find out an Ephraimite; and he who spake not as he was commanded, at the fords of Jordan, spoke against his own life.

For he could not frame to pronounce it right~\ This is not a bad rendering of the original, f3 laT? yy kVi veto yakin ledabber ken: " and they did not direct to speak it thus." But instead of p3* yakin, to direct, thirteen of KennicotVt and Be Rossi's MSS. with two ancie\it editions, read pa'' yabin, " thwy did not understand to speak it thus."

The Versions take great latitude in this verse. The Vulgate makes a paraphrase; Die ergo Schibboleth, quod interpretutur spica: qnirespondebat Sibboleth; eadcm literu spica cxprimere non valcns. " Say, therefore, Shibboleth; which interpreted is, an ear of corn: but he answered Sibboleth, not being able to express an ear of corn by that letter." Li my very ancient copy of the P'ulgdtc, probably the editio princeps, there is sebboleth, in the lirst instance, as the test word; and thcbboleth, as flic Ephraimite pronunciation, liut cehboleth is the reading of (he Coinpluiensian Polyglott; and is supjiorted by one of my own MSS.; yet the former reading, thcbboleth, is louiid in two of my MSS. The Chaldee has Kn'?ail£' shiibb/iliha, for the Gileaditish pronunciation; and KribaD subbalthu, for that of Ephraim. The

^I'ii'm'." ^ '-^ And iiClcr him ' ll)/iiii of l>ctii- hiiricd in Aijnldd in llic ( omiiry of

Aiiniumt.- 1. 1) And lie liiid lliiily sons, iiiid I l.'i ^1 And iiflcr liini ' Ahdoii llic for his sons. And he jndjicd Israel seven years. 14.\rid lie had forty sons and thirty ' nephews,

\\'.ll''\m'. "' Then died Ih/an, and uas hu- ' thai ' rode on three-core and ten ass rolls: an<i

I.') And.\bdon the son of llillel the Firatiionite died, and was buried in Pirathoii in lliv land of Kphraint, ' in the mount of the.\rnalekiles.

■* lie sccins lo hiwr Urrn only n ri\il jmli;i- lo iId jiHlicc in Nortli-ra^t Itrael. ^ A civil Jiulgf ill.\oilli-faiit laratl.

Sjjridc Iins v.O» sitc/ila, and V. Offl ncbla. Tlio Ainbic has (lie same woril, with,^ slicni,;iiiil ^j seen; niul adds, " lie said Scbld, for llio K|)hrainiitf ■. idiild not pronounce (lin lp((or sliecn." These notices, iiowcvor tri\i;il at Gist view, Mill not be thought unimportant by the biblical critic.

Verse S. yliicl after him lbz(i>i\ It appears that during the administration of Jophlliali, six years; I//zan, seven years; I'lon, ton years; and Abdoii, eiglit years; in the whole thirty-one years; the Israelites had peace in all their borders: and wo!:liall find by the following chapter, lliat in this time of rest, they corrupted llicnisclvp'i, and were afterwards delivered into the power of the I'hilistiiie-.

1. Wo find that Ibzaii\\\\A a numerous family, sixty children; and Abdon had forty sons and thirty grandsons; and tliat they lived splendidly, whitli it here expressed bv their riding on seventy joung asses; — »hat hc would express bv thfi/ all l;e])l llicir carriages: for the riding on fine nsies in those days, was not less dignified than riding in coachet in ours.

<2. ft does not appear tliat any thing particular took place in the civil state of the Israelites during the time of these latter judges; nothing is said concerning their administration, wlielher it was good or bad: nor is any thing mentioned of the stale of religion. It is likely that they enjoyed peace without, and their judges were cap. able of preventing discord and sedition within. Vet, doubtless, God was at work among them, though there were none to record the operations either of ills hand or Hi* Spirit: but the people who feared Him no doubt bore testimonj to the word of His grace.

T/ie Israe/iies coyriipl ifionsches, and arc delivered into the hands of the Philistines fori// i/tnis, I. Anan<ril appears lo the zoij'c of Manoah, and foretcls the birth of her son, and gives her directions hozs (o treat both herself and her child, zcho zcas to be a deliverer of Israel, 2 — 5. She informs her husband of this transaction, 6, 7. Manoah praj/s that the angel mai/ re-appcar; hc is heard, and the angel appears to him and his liifr, and repeats his former directions, concerning the mother and the child, 'fi — 14. Manoah presents an offering to the Lord, and the angel ascends in the flame, Ij— 20. Manoah is alarmed, but is comforted by the judicious rcfleelions of his zcife, '21—^23. Samson is born, and begins to feel the injiuence of the Dizinc Spirit, 24, 2.i.

AND the cliildren of Israel "did* evil again in the sight of the Lord; ' and the Lord delivered them ""into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 T And there was a certain man of ^ Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name tvas INIanoah; and his wife was barren and bare not.

3 And the ^ angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her. Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and ^ drink not wine nor strong drink, and cat not any unclean thing:

5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no '' rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be ' a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall '' begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6 H Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, ' A man of God came unto me, and his '"countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I " asked

Verse 1. Delivered them into the hand of the Philistines] It does not appear that after Shamgar, to the present time, the Philistines were in a condition to oppress Israel; or God had not permitted them to do it: but now they have a commission, the Israelites having departed from the Lord. Nor is it evident that the Philistines had entirely subjected the Israelites, as there still appears to have been a sort of commerce between the two people. They had often vexed and made inroads upon them; but they had them not in entire subjection: see chap. xv. 21.

Verse 2. A certain man of Zorali] A town in the tribe «f Judah, but afterwards given to Dan.

Verse 3. The angel of the LonD~\ Generally supposed to have been the same that appeared to Moses, Joshua, Gideon, &c.; and no other than the Second Person of the everblessed Trinity.

Verse 4. Beware — drink not zeine] As Samson was designed to be a Nazarite from the womb, it was necessary that, while his mother carried and nursed hira, she should live the life of a Nazarite; neither drinking wine nor any inebriating liquor; nor eating any kind of forbidden meat. —

7 But he said unto me. Behold, Amma'iiteT. thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; »'.v'"i'- 38iand now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child sliall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to tiic day of his death.

8 H Then Manoali intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God whicli thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

9 And God hearkened to the voice of jManoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in tiie field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.

10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

1 1 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him. Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, 1 am.

See the account of the Nazarite and his vow, in the Notes on Numb. vi. 2, &c.

Verse 5. He shall begin to deliver Israel"] Samson only began this deliverance; for it was not till the days of David that the Israelites were completely redeemed from the power of the Philistines.

Verse 6. But I asked him not tihence he was, neither told he me his name'] This clause is rendered very differently by the Vui.gate, the negative not being omitted: Quern dim interrogassem quis esset, et unde venisset, et quo nomine vucaretur, noluil mihi dicere; sed hoc respundit; " Whom, when I asked who he was, and whence he came, and by what name he was called, would not tell me: but this he said, &c."

The negative is also wanting in the Septuagint, as it stands in the Complutensian Polyglott: K«i Yjpuiruiv aurov tToSev efiy, KciA ro ivju.x a.vTiJV, ovk airr,yy£iXev aoi,• and " I asked him whence he was, and his name; but he did not tell me." — This is also the reading of the Codex Alexandrimis; but the S'ptuagin/, in the London Polyglott, together with the Chuldee, Sj/riac, and Arabic, read the negative particle with the Hebrew text, / asked not his name, &c.

13 And tlic an<;( I of llic l-oitn ^;ii<l imlo Manoah. Of vdl tlial I said iiutu ilir wniniiu Id Ik r beware.

14 Slio may not lal of any ///w/;'- that romelli of tiie vine, '' lu-itlirr Ut licr drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean ihiny;: all that 1 eonuna'xled Inr let lior observe.

I.) H.\nd Manoaii said unto tlie anj;!'! of tlie Lonn, I jiray Miee, " let us delaiii thee, untd we shall have made rea<ly a kid ' for thee.

IG And llie an!;-el of the l>oin) said unto Ala noali, Though tiiou d^'tain nie, 1 will not eat ol ihv bread: and if lliou wilt olVer a burntotilring. thou must oiler it unto the I.oui). For Manual! knew not that he wan an angel of

17 Ami iNIanoah said unto the angcl of the Loud, \N hat /»■ thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee Iionour?

18 And the angd of the Loito said unto him,

a rock unto the Lonn: and ///e r/yi/^'rV did \\ond( Tonsly; and Manoah and his wile looked (di. 20 I'or it eanie to j)asH, wlien the llame heaven from olV the allar, the I.oiji) j'teended in the appearance of tlie,\iigcl was probably esseiiti;il to (he (wncc of Maiioali, who minht liave been jealous of his wife, hud he not had this proof Ihat the thing was of (he

Verse 15. Until zee skull have iiuiiL: re ml i/ a AvW] Not knowing; his quality, Manoah wi^ht■d to do this as an act of hospitality.

Verse 10. / zcill not eat of thij breail'\ As I am a spiritual being, I subsist not by earthly food.

Jiul if thuii:ci!t offer a t>urnl-offeriiig:'\ Neither shall I receive that homage which belongs to God; thou must, therefore, offer thy burnt-oflering to Jehovali.

Verse 18. Seeing it is secret~\ It was l)ecau^e it was secret that they wished to know it. The angel does not say that it was secret, but 'XTS nti hii pelt, it is w ondeiifil: the very character that is given to Jesus Christ, Isa. ix. 6. His name shall be called vhs Wunderjul: and it is supposed fcy some that the.Vngel gives this as His name, and consetjueiitly that this was our blessed Lord,

Verse 19. The angel did xzonderously] lie acted according to His name: He, being zconderful, performed wonderful things; probably causing lire to arise out of the rock, and consume the sacrifice, and then ascending in the flame.

of the I. OKI) did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. ' Tlien Manoah knew that he reus an angel of the

22 And Manoali said unto his wife, '" Wc shall surely die, because \>e have seen Ciod,

2.3 But iiis wife said unto him, If the I^mmj were pleased to kill us, he would not liavc rcceivetl a burnt-ofTering and a meat (ifTering at our hands; neither would he have shewed us all these thinirs, nor \vould as at this time have (old us such things as these.

Verse 22. We shall surely die, because ue have teen God.'] See the Note on chap. yi. 22.

Verse 23. If the Loitn cas pleased to kill us, «Sc.] This is e.xcellent reasoning, and may be of great use to every tiuly religious mind, in cloudy and dark dispensations of Divine I'rovidence. It is nat likely (hat God, v»ho has preserved thee so long, borne with thee so long, and fed and supported thee all thy life long, girding thee when thou knewedst Him not, is less willing to save and provide for thee and thine now, than He was when probably thou trustedst less in Him. He who made, and gave His Son lo redeem thee, can never be indifferent to thy welfare; and if He give thee power to pray to and trust in Him, is it at all likely that He is now seeking an occasion against thee, in order to destroy thee? Add to this, the very light ihat shews thee thy wretchedness, ingratitude, and disobedience, is, in itself, a proof that He is waiting to be gracious to thee; and the penitential pangs thou feelest, and f h v bitter regret for thy unfaithfulness, argue that the light an A fire are of God's own kindling; and are sent to direct and r«>fine, not to drive thee oat of the way and destroy thee. Sor zcouldhe hare laid thee fuch things of His love, merry, and kindness, and cnwillingnr-;, to destroy sinners, as He has told thee in His Sacred Word, if He had been determined not to extend His mercy to thee.

24 H And the woman bare a son, and called his name "Samson: and ^ tlie child greWj and the Lord blessed him.

Verse 24. ^4nd called his name Samsuu'] The original jlil'Cw Shimsho/i, which is from the root li'pu shamasfi, to serve, (whence shemesh, the sun,) probably means either a liUle sun, or a lillle servant; and this latter is so likely a name to be imposed on an only sou, by maternal fondness, that it leaves but little doubt of the propriety of the etymology.

And the Lord Idesscd him.'] Gave evident proofs that the child was under the peculiar profection of the Most High; causing him to increase daily in stature, and extraordinary strength.

Verse 23. The Spirit of the Lord begun tu move him] lie felt the degrading bondage of his countrymen, and a

25 ''And the Spirit of the Lord betian lo move him at times in '' tlie camp of Dan "between Zorah and Eshtaol.

strong desire to accomplish something for their deliverance. These feelings and motions he hud from the Divine Spirit.

Camp of Dan] I'robably (he place where his parents dwelt, for they were Danifes: and the place is supposed to liave its name from its being the spot where the Danites slopped when they sent some men of their company to rob Micah of his teraphim, &c. — See chap, xviii.

As he had these influences between Zorah and Eshtaol, it is evident that this was li^hile he dwelt at home with his parents; for Zorah was the place where his father dwelt; see vcr. 2. Thus God began, from his infancy, to qualify him for the work to which He had called him.

Samson }iuirrics a wife of the Philistines, \ — 4. S/aj/s a young lion at Timualh, in tlie carcase of which he aflei-wards fnds a swarm of bees, 5 — 9. Jle tnakcs a feast; they appoint him thirty companiofis, to whom he puts forth a riddle, which they cannot expound, 10 — 14. They entice his wife to get the interpretation from him; she succeeds, informs them, and they tell the explanation, 15 — 18. He is incensed, and slays thirty o/" the Philistines, 19, 20.

mnath, and '' saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the

2 And he came up, and told his father and his

Verse 1. }\'ent doten to Timnatli] A froiilirr town of tiie Philistines, at the beginning of the lands belonging to the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv. 67.; but afterwards given up to Dan, Josh. xix. 41. David took (his place from the Philistines; but they again got possession of it in the reign of Ahaz, 2 Chron. xxviii. 18.

Verse 3. Is there never u woman] To marry with any that did not belong to the Israelitish stock was contrary to the law, Exod. xxxiv. 16. Deu(. vii. 3. But this marriage of Sara«on was said to be of the Lord, ver. 4.: that is, God

mother, and said, i nave seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters

I have seen 'i mnath of i of the Philistines: now ' get her for me to wife. 3 Then his father and his mother said unto permitted it, (for in no other sense can we understand the phrase.) that it might be a means of bringing about the deliverance of Israel.

For she pleaseth me zcelL] 'J'i'3 ^Tw"" N'!^ O lei hi i/nshreh beini, " for she is right in my eyes." 'J'liis is what is supposed to be a sufficient reason to justify either man or woman in their random choice of wife or husbaiul: the maxim is (he same with that of the poet —

" Thou hast no fault, or 1 no fault can.spy; Thou art all beauty, or all blindness I."

cLsod I'liilislincs? And Sainson said unio IiIh fiiduT, (lit lit r lor iiu"; ii>r ' siio pk-iiHclli me well.

1 Hut iiis riidirr;in(i lii*; moliier knew mil that it 7/v/K ''of I lie liOiti), that he sonj;lit an nrcasion ai>'ainst the I'hiJistincs: for at thrit lime '(he Piiilisliiies had (himinion (iver l.snul,

5 11 '^Phen went Samson down, and his faliK-r and his mollur, to 'rinnialii, and rame to the vineyards of Timnatli: and, hehoid, a yonn;^- lion roared ' against him.

() And "the Spirit ol (he Ijoiu) came mij;h(ily npon him, and he rent liim as lie would liave rent a kid, and /ic had nolhini;- in his hand: hut he told not his fadier or his mother what he had done.

7 And he went down, and tallad witii (lie

When tlip:;•;'// liiis sulVicioiil pnwcr, it.-; di'lormitialioTis arc its own rule of liijlit Tluit zcill should be pure and well diieclcd that says, it shall he so, because I tin. l it sboulil be so. A reason d this kind is similar to that >\hii'h 1 ha»e seen in a motto on the br;iss ordnance of Lewis XIV. Ultima n.irio ni:i:uii, the sum vj' regal logic; i.e. My will, backed by these instruments of destruction, shall be the rule of right and wrong. The rules and principU's of this logic are now suspected; and it is not likely to be generally received, without violent dcmoustrution.

Verse 5, A ijouiig lion roared against him.'} Came fiercely out upon him, reaily to tear him in pieces.

Veise (i. He rent him as he izouLl have rent a hid'] Now it is not intimated that he did this by liis own natural strength, but by the Spirit of the Lord coming mighlilij upon him; so that liis strength does not appear to be his own, nor to ho at his command: his might was bt/ the tcilt ' of God, attached to liis hair and to his nazarealc.

Verse 7. And UUhtd raV/j the icoman] That I cerning marriage; ihus forming the espousals.

Verse S. jtnd a/ter u time] Prol)ably about one j car: as this was the ii;ue that genorallv elapsed betHeen espousing and wedding.

A s::arni of bicx and honii/ in tlic frt;T«sc] By length of time the tU^sh had been entirely cansumod oil' the bones, and a swarm of bees had formed their combs «ithiu the region of the thcra.x: — nor was it an improper place, nor was

H •. Ami alter a time he relnrned lo take her, and he turned aside to see tlic carcase of the Hon: and, iicliold, lltrre was a swarm of bees ami honey in the careui>e ol' the lion.

!) And he took thereof in Ids hands, and went on ealiiif^", and caiiic to his father and mother, and he <^ave them, and thes did eat: hut he (old not them that he liud taken the honey out of (lie earca.se of (he lion.

10 • So his fiulier uenl down unto the woman: and Sainson made there a feast; for so used the \T>iin;i' "itii to do.

I 1 And it tame to pass, wlieii thin saw him, that ihev brou{,;;ht thirty companions to be wilii

12 'L And Samson said unto them, i will now ''put forth a riddle unlo you: if yc can certainly decinrc il me ' williin the seven da\sor

the thing niifiei)ueiif, if we may credit ancient writers; the carcases of slain beasts becoming a receptacle for wild bees. The b'^autiful episode in the -Ith Georgic of Virgil proTCi that the ancients believed that bees might be engendered io the body of a dead ox. —.see particularly Cleorg. it. ver. 550.

Verse 10. Samson made there a feast'] The marriage feast, when he went to marry his espoused wife.

Verse 11. Tliei/ brought thirltf companions] These arc called in Scripture children of the bride-chamber, aud friendt of the bridegroom. — See the whole of this subject particularly illustrated in the observations at the end of John, chap. iii.

Verse 1*2. /:,-/// no:c put forth a riddle] Probably this was one part of the amusements at a marriage feast; each, in his turn, proposing a riddle, to be solved by any of the rc't on a particular forfeit; the |)roposer forfeiting, if solved, the same which the company must forfeit if they could not solve it.

Thirty sheets] I have no doubt that the.Vrab huyk, or hijKe, is here meant; a dress in which the natives of the East wrap themselves, as a Scottish hichlander dors in his p/nirf. In Asiatic countries the dress scarcely ever changes; being nearly the same now thnt it was 2000 years ago. Mr. Jackson, in his account of the Kmpire of Morocco, thus mentions the Moorish drc.ss: " It resembles," says he, "that of the ancient patriarchs, as represented in paintings; {but the jwintings arc taken from Asiatic models:) that of the

B.c.ml" the feast, and find it out, then I

j)iy,np^ 13 But if ye cannot declare it me,

then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty

change of garments. And they said unto him. Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

14 And lie said unto them. Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the

men consists of a red cap and turban, a {kuwja) sliirt, Avhicli hangs outside of the drawers, and comes down below the knee; a (fiifian) coat, wliich buttons close before, and down to the bottom, with large open sleeves; ever wliicli, w hen they go out of doors, they throw carelessly, and sometimes elegantly, a hajjk, or garment of white cot*on, silk, or wool, five or si.^ yards long, and five feet wide. The Arabs often di>i)ense with the caftan, and even with the shirt, wearing nothing but the hayk." When an.\rab does not chuse to wrap himself in the hayk, he throws it over his left shoulder, where it hangs, till the weather, &c. obliges him to wrap it round him. The hyke is either?!ieim or elegant, according to the ([uality of the cloth, and of the person who wears it. I have myself seen the natives of Fez, with hi'ykes, or hykes, both elegant and costly. By the changes of garments, it is very likely that the Lunija and cajldii are meant; or, at least, the caftan; but, most likely, both, for the Hebrew has anja nsSn chulipoth begadim, changes, or succession, of garments. Samson, therefore, engaged to give or receine thirty haijkes, and thirty kumjas and caftans, on the issue of the inter|)retation or non-interpretation of his riddle: these were complete suits.

Verse 14. jtnd lie said unto them] Thus he states or [iroposes his riddle: —

Instead of strong, the Syriac and Arabic have bitter. 1 have no doubt that the liddle was in yjoe^/w/ / and perha|)> the two hemistichs above preserve its order. This was scarcely a fair riddle; for, unless the fact to which it refers were known, there is no rule of interpretation by wliich it could be found out. We learn from the Scholiai-t, on Aristophanes, t'espie, v. 20. that it was a custom among the ancient Greeks to propose, at their festivals, what were called griphoi, ycufyi, riddles, enigmas, or very obscure sayings, both curious and diflicult; and to give a rccompence to those who found them out; which generally consisted in either a festive ciowii. or a goblet full of wine. Those who failed to solve ihcin were condemned to drink a large portion of fresh water, or of wine mingled with sea-water, which they were com|)ellod to take down at one draught. without drawing llieir breath, their hands being tied behind their backs. Sometimes they gave the crown to the deity in honour of whom the festival was made: mid if none could

Of these enigmas, proposed at entertainments, &c. we have numerous examples in ATUEn^YUs, Dcipnosoph. lib. x. c. 15. p. 142. edit. Argentorat. and some of them very like this of Samson; for example —

This may be spoken of an enigma and its proposer; he gives //, but he does not give the sense; the other has it. but has not the meaning.

" There is a feminine Nature, fostering her children in her bosom; who, although they are dumb, sond forth a distinct voice over every nation of the earth, and every sea; to whomsoever they p'ease. It is possible for those who are absent to h^-ar; and for those who are deaf, to hear also."

The relator brings in Sappho interpreting it thus: —

" The Nature, which is feminine, signifies an epislte; and her children whom she bears are alphabetical characters: and these, being dumb, speak and give counsel to any, even at a distance; though he who stands nigh to hiin, who is silently reading, hears no voice."

Here is anotiier, attributed by the same author to TheO' (Icclcs: —

Tijf fuasuj; htrx yxia ifspsi rpo<pos o'^^' sira «vroj, Ours ^poTOKTiY lyji yjtujv aufijTic l^oixv. AAA' iv jaec ytvitrl TrpuTotritopiv tri;j.eyirryj.

they <;oiild not, in (luce days expound llu! riddle. If) And i( rjinie (o pasn on tlie soil Hie. And lie haid iinlo Ikt, He- Iiold, [ have not told it my father nor my mother, and nliall I tell it

■ Knticc thy iMisband, that ho may declare unto 'l 17 And 8h<» wept before him * the seven days,

\\H the riddle, ''lest we burn (hceaiid (hy father's while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh dav, that he told her, because mIic lay sore upon him; and she told the riddle lo the ir> And Samson's wife wept Itefore Iiim, and childi I'n of her peojrle. said, ''Thou dost but hate me, and lov.st me IS And the men of the city said untrt him on

not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the child-

" Npitlier <loPS the iiourisliiiij; earlli so bear liy nature; nor (lie spn; nor is there umong mortals a like in- ' rreasp of parts: for, at tiip ppriod of its liirth it is grpatpst; t)ut In its middle age it is small; and in ils old age, it is again greater in form and size than all." i

" There are two sisters, the one of whom begets the other; and she who ie begotten produces her who bpgat her."

This dead seaman is a conch, or large shcll-fish, of which the poet was about to eat. The mouth by which it spoke signifies its being u«ed as a horn; as it is well known to produce, when opened at the spiral end and blown, a very powerful sound.

the sevonlh da\ before the sun went down.

any lovs to him, for it appears she had none: but ts oblige her paramours: and of this he soon had ampla proof.

Verse 1 S. Ifjje huil nut pluij«hed tcilh my heifer^ If my wife had not been unfaithful lo my bed, she would not havp been unfaithful to my secret: and you, being her paramours, your interest was more precious to her than thit of her husband. She has betrayed me through her attachment to you.

Calmet has properly remarked, in quoting the Septuaginf, that to plough z:ilh one's lieifer, or to plough in anolhrr man't ground, are delicate turns of expression used both by tli« Greeks and Latins, as well as the Hebrews, lo point out a wife's infidelities.

'* I detest a woman who gads about; and also a libidinous man: and whosoever wishes to plough in another man's ground."

Fundum alienum arat, incultiim familiarem deserif.

" Ho ploughs another's farm, and leaves his own heritage uncultivated."

Milo domi non est, peregre at Milone profedo Area vacat, uxor non minus inde paril..M.*iitiai..

" Milo is not at home; and Milo, being from home, his field lies uncultivated; his wife, nevertheless, continues to breed; and brings forth children."

Hoc faciunt nimio ne luxu olftusior usus, Sit genilali area, sulcosque oblimet inertet.

Arnoantei. he Said iiiito theni, If ye had not ymp^j^ ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

19 ^ And ' the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, an<l lie went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them^ and took their

The metaphor was a common one; and we need seek for no other interpretation of the words of Samson.

Verse 10. The Spirit of (he Lord came upon him'] " The spirit of fortitude from before the Lord." — Targiim. He was inspired with unusual courage; and he felt strength proportioned to his wishes.

He — slew thirty men — and took their spoils] He took their hj/l;es, tlieir kiiwjas, and caftans, and gave them to the thirty persons who, by unfair means, had solved his riddle: tlius they had what our version calls thirty sheets, and thirty changes of raiment. — See the Note on ver. 12.

Verse 20. But Samson's wife teas given to his companion] This was the same kind of person who is called the friend of the bridegroom, John iii. "29. And it is very

spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20 But Samson's wife " was gifc» to his com panion, whom he had used as '' his friend.

likely that she loved this person better than she loved her husband; and went to him as soon as Samson had gone to his father's house at Zorah. She might, however, have thought herself abandoned by him; and, therefore, took another: this appears to have been the persuasion of her father, chap. XV. 2. But her betraying his secret and his interests to his enemies, was a full proof he was not very dear to her; though, to persuade him to the contrary, she shed many crocodile tears: see ver. 16. He could not keep his own secret; and he was fool enough to suppose that another would be more faithful to him than he was to himself. Multitudes complain of the treachery of friends betraying their secrets. See. never considering that they themselves have been their first betrayers, in confidiiig to others what they pretend to wish should be a secret to the whole world! If a man never let his secret out of his own bosom, it is impossible that he should ever be betrayed.

Samson, going to xisit his zcifc, finds her bestowed on another, 1, 2. lie is incensed, rows revenge, and burns the corn of the Philistines, 3 — 5. Theiy burn Samson''s wife and her father, 6. He is still inscnsed, niahes a great slaughter among them, 7, 8. The Philistines gather together against Israel; and, to appease (hem, the men ofJudah bind Samson, and deliver him into their hands, 9—13. The Spirit of (he Lord comes upon him; he breaks his bonds, finds the jawbone of an ass, and therewith hills a thousand men, 14 — 16. I/e is sorelij fatigued; and, being thirsty, God miraculously ■produces water from an opening of the ground in Lchi; and he is refreshed, 17 — 19. He judges Israel in the time of the Philistines twenty years, 20.

lUT it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his " wife w ith a kid; and he

Verse 1. Visited his rcifu icilh a kid'] On her betray, ing him, he had, no doubt, left her in great disgust. After tome time his aflection appears to have returned; and, said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not sulFer him to go in. 2 And her father said, I '' verily taking a kid, or jierhaps a faien, as a present, he goes to make reconciliation, and finds her given to his brideman: probably, the person to wliom she betrayed his riddle.

Verse 2. Thou hiitlsl utlrrljj hated /ler] As he was conscious sliehiul given him gient iau<o so to do.

llcr yuun.ivr sister'] Tlie father appears to luivc been j)erfectly sincere in ti\isofler.

Verse 4. IVcnl and caught three hundred foxes'] Tliere Jias been niurh controversy concerning tiie meaning of (lie term ZI'Ti'i- shui'diin; some supposing It to mean foxes, or jackals; and others, handfuls, or sheaves of corn. Much of the force of the objections against the common version will be diminlslicil by the following considerations: —

2. It is not hinted that Snmson collected them alone; he;))iglit have employed several hands in this work.

3. It is not said he collected them all in o;ic daj/; he might have employed several days, as well as many persons, to furnish him with these means of vengeance.

4. In other countries, where ferocious beasts were less numerous, great multitudes have been e.\hlbited at once. Sulla, in a public show to the Roman citizens, exhibited one hundred lions; Cwsar, four hundred; and Ponipcy, nearly six hundred. The Kraperor Probus let loose in the theatre, at one time, one //ioi/>tn/ir/ ostriches, one thousand stags, one thtmsand wild boars, one thousand does, and a countless multitude of other wild animals; at another time he exhibited one hundred leopards from Libya, one hundred irom Syria, and Ihi-ce liundred hears. — See Flavius Vopiscus, in the life of I'robus, cap. xix., beginning with Dedit Romanis ctiam vohiptates, ^c.

That foxes, or the creature called shual, were plenty in Judca, is evident, from their frequent mention in Scripture, and from several places bearing their name. 1. It appears they were so numerous that even their cubs ruined the vineyards: see Cant. ii. 15. Take us the foxes, tlie little foxes, that si>oil our vines. Jeremiah complains that the foxes had occupied the mountains of Judea, Lam. v. 18. They are mentioned as making incursions into inclosuref. Sec. Neh. iv. 3. Ezekiel compares the numerous false prophets to these animals, chap. xiii. 4. In Josh. xv. 'i8. we find a place called Ha:er Shual, the court of the foxes: and in thap. xix. 4'2. a place called Shaulabim, "the foxes;'* no 4oubt from the number of those animals in that district.

4 And Samson went and tan^lit (lirce limidnd fo-xes, and look ' liic- I)rands, and turned tail to tail, and pill a iiielirand in llic midst between two tails.

[) And when he liad set the brands on fiie. he let //tt7/J po into the slandiiif^ corn of the I'hilistines, and burnt up br)th the bliotks, and also

And mention is made of the land of Shual, or of the/ox, 1 Sam. xiii. 17.

The creature called shual U represented by travellers and naturali.-ts who have been in Judea, a^ an animal between a wolf and a fox. Ilasself/uist, who was on the «pot, and saw many of them, calls it the little eastern fox. They aro frequent in the Last; and often destroy infirm persons and children.

Dr. Kennicotl, however, objects to the common interpretation; and gives reasons, some of which arc far from being destitute of weight. " The three hundred foxes," <-ays he,

" caught by Samson, have been so frequently the subject of banter and ridicule; that we should consider whether the words may not admit a more rational interpretation: for, besides the improbability arising here from the number of these /o.re*, the itse made of them is also very strange. If these animals were tied tail to tail, they w ould probably pull contrary ways, and consequently stand still; whereas a firebrand, tied to the tail of each fox singly, would have beea far more likely to answer the purpose here intended. To obviate these difficulties, it has been well remarked, that the word Z2^h]PV shualim, here translated foxes, signifies also handfuls, Lzek. xiii. 19. handfuls of barley; if we leave out that one letter i vau, which has been inserted or omitted elsewhere, almost at pleasure. No less than seven Hebrew MSS. want that letter here, and read zi'^Jl' shoalim. Admitting this version, we see that Samson took three hundred handfuls, or sheaves of corn, and one hundredandfiftt/ frc brands; that he turned the sheaves end to end, and put a firebrand between the two ends, in the midst: and then, setting the brands on fire, sent the fire into the itanding corn of the Philistines. The same word is now used twice in one chapter, (Ezek. xiii. 4. and 19); in the former verse signifying foxes, in the latter handfuls: and in 1 Kings xx. 10. where we render it handfuls, it is a,\ursi^i foxes, in the Greek version." — Remarks on Select Passages'.

The reasoning of Dr. Kennlcott, in the first part of this criticism, has already been answered; other parts shall be considered below. Though there are seven MSS. which agree in the reading contended for by Dr. Kennicott, yet all the J'ersions are on the other side. I see uo improbability in the common Version.

B.C. 1135. tiie Standing- corn, with the vnie- "^"' lis!*' '"■■ y'l'^^'s and olives. orn""'^9' ^ '^''^'^ ^''^ Phihstines said. Who ^It —: hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. ^ And the Phihsiines came up and burnt her and her father with fire.

7 ^ And Samson said unto them. Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.

S And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etani.

9 H Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves " in Lehi.

10 And the men of Judah said. Why are ye come up against us? And they answered. To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.

11 Then three thousand men of Judah 'went

Turned tail to fail] Had he pat a firebrand to each, which Dr. Kennicott thinks more reasonable, the creature, naturally terrified at fire, would have instantly taken to cover; and thus the design of Samson would have been frustrated. But, tying tx3o of them together by their tails, they would frequently thwart each other in running, pull hither and thither, and thus make the greater devastation. Had he tied them all together, the confusion would have been so great that no execution could have been done.

Verse 6. Bur2it her and her father] This was probably done to appease Samson: as they saw he had been unjustly treated both by his wife and her father; therefore they destroyed them both, that they might cause his wrath to cease from them..\nd this indeed seems intimated in the following verse: And Samson said — Though ye have done this, yet Tiill I be avenged of you; that is, I am not yet satisfied; ye have done nie great wrongs, I must have proportionate redress; then I shall rest satisfied.

Verse 8. He smote tliem hip and thigh] This also is variously understood; but the general meaning seems plain: lie appears to have had no kind of defensive weapon, therefore he was obliged to grapple with them; and, according to the custom of urestters, trip up their feet, and then bruise them to death. Some translate heaps upon heaps; others, he smote horsemen and footmen; others, he Koumled them from their legs to their thighs, Sec. &c. — See the dillcrent yersions. Some think, in their running away from him, he to the top of the rock Etam, and b.c.'S' said to Satnson, Knowest thou not ^n. Kxod. isr. that the Philistines «re "^ rulers over Ann.,.-inie i. us? what «s this that thou hast done "'^"'''- ^^^• unto us? And he said unto thciu. As they did unto me, so have I done unto (hem.

12 And they said unto him. We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of tlie Philistines. And Samson said unto tlicni. Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.

13 And they spake unto him, saying. No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

14 f And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and " the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands "^ loosed from off his hands.

kicked them down, and then trod them to death; thus his leg or thigh was against their hip: hence the expression.

The top of the rock Etam.] It is very likely that this is the same place as that mentioned 1 Chron. iv. 32. it was in the tribe of Simeon, and on the borders of Dan; and probably Si fortified place.

Verse 10. To bind Samson are we come up] It seems they did not wish to come to an open rupture with the Israelites; provided they would deliver up him who was the cause of their disasters.

Verse 1 1. Three thousand men of Judah went] It appears evidently from this that Samson was strongly posted; and they thought that no less than three thousand men were necessary to reduce him.

Verse 12. That ye will not fall upon me yourselves.] He could not bear the thought of contending with and slaying his own countrymen; for there is no doubt that he could have as easily rescued himself from their hands, as from those of the Philistines.

Verse 13. Theij bound him zcith two nezc cords] Probably his hands with one, and his legs with the other.

Verse 14. When he came tinto Lehi] This was the name of the p/«cc to which they brought him, either to put him to death, or keep him in perpetual confinement.

\(\ And Samson said, With tlif jawbone of an ass, "lica|)s n]>nii li(iii)H, witli (lie jaw of an ass have I slain a llioiisand men.

17 And i( came to pass, wlicn lie bad made an end of spi akiiij;'. lliat lieca<;taway Hie ja\vl)one fuil of Ilis liand, and called llial place '' Itamalli-lrlii.

J8 1[ And lie was sore atliirst, and called on the Lord, and said, " Thou hast given lliis

Verso 15. lie found a new jawbone of an ass] I rather (hink (hat the word nna (criah, which wc trnnslate new, uiul the margin mois/, should be understood as sifjnifyiiig (he tabid, or putrid slate of the ass from which this jawbone was taken. Ho found there a dead ass, in a state of |)u(refaction; on which account lie could, the more easily, separate the jaw from its integuments: this was a circumstance proper to be recorded by (he historian, and a mark of the providence of God. liut, were we to understand it of a. fresh jaicbonc, very lately separated from (he head of an ass, the eircumstance does not seem worthy of being recorded.

With the jazsbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps'] I cannot see the propriety of tliis rendering of the Hebrew words ca'mcn iirsn -ncnn 'nSa bclechi huchamor, chamor, chatnorat(ii/im: I believe it should be translated thus: — men." This appears to have beea a triumphal song on the occa- ' sion; and the words are variously rendered both by the Ver-: sions, and by expositors.

Verse 17. Ramalh-lchi] The lifting up, or casting UKuy,' of the jawbone, l^ehi was the name of the place before; Rainath was now added to it here: he lifted up (he jawbone against his enemies, and slew them.

Verse 18. / die for thirst] The natural consequence of the excessive fatigue he had gone through in this encounter.

Verse 19. God clrne a Iwlloia place that was in the jazo] 'nSa lU^X nsher balechi, " (hat was in Lehi:" that Is, there was a holloic place in (his Lchi, and God caused a fountain (o spring up in it. Because (he place was hoilozt:, it was capable of con(aini:ig the water that rose up in it, and thus of bocoming a tcell.