From the Death of Moses to the Commencement of the Regal Government

SECTION L

ENTRANCE OF THE HOST OF ISRAEL INTO THE PROMISED LAND UNDER THE CONDUCT OF JOSHUA, THE SUCCESSOR OF MOSES.

“Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, to the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites; and unto the great sea, toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee; I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. Have not I commanded thee, be of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

Joshua having received this divine direction and encouragement, without delay proceeded to execute the orders of Jehovah, “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals, for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go to possess the land which the Lord giveth you to possess it. And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying. Remember the word which Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying. The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; until the Lord hath given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them. Then shall ye return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan, toward the sun-rising. And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go. According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words, in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.”

The spirit and conduct of these two tribes and a half, who had received their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, was truly disinterested and noble, through the whole transaction of taking possession of the promised land. Por nearly seven years, they were absent from their homes, separated from their wives and children, and engaged in an arduous warfare, in the results of which they had no personal interest. Lideed, it seems probable, that the heaviest brunt of the war fell to their lot; for being light armed, and free from the incumbrances which impeded the operations of others, they were placed in the front of the battle, and when exploring parties were needed, it would be natural to select them for such services.

When the necessary preparations were made in the host for the invasion of Canaan, Joshua thought proper to send two men from Shittim, where they were encamped, to act as spies, and to bring back a report of what they observed. The city which was nearest to them, and situated at no great distance from the Jordan, was Jericho, sometimes called “the city of palm trees,” because in ancient times many trees of this species grew there. These two men having passed over the river, came secretly to

Jericho, and found entertainment in the house of a harlot, whose name was Rahab. Some have endeavoured to establish the opinion, that Rahab was not a harlot, but a keeper of a tavern, or house of entertainment for travellers. This last may be true, but there is no need to depart from the common acceptation of the word rendered “harlot:” it is used commonly in one uniform sense, and we know no good reason why it should not be so interpreted here. It may be observed, however, that among the heathen, in ancient times, no peculiar disgrace was attached to persons of this description. Even among the Greeks and Romans, women of high distinction and great accomplishments, and who were admitted into the highest circles of fashion, and rolled in wealth and luxury, lived a dissolute life. One of the judgments of God upon those who wilfully turned away from the knowledge and worship of the true God to idolatry, was, the giving them up to vile affections — to work all manner of uncleanness with greediness. The crime of fornication was so common among all classes, that all sense of its evil was obliterated; and it was scarcely reckoned among the vices. It is altogether probable, therefore, that Rahab was not more profligate than most or all of her sex in Jericho; for we must remember, that the sins of the Amorites were now full; and we learn, that long before this, they were addicted to the most unnatural crimes. But whatever might have been the wickedness of this woman’s former life, in the days of her ignorance, she was a vessel of mercy, and received from the Lord the precious gift of faith, and with it all other spiritual graces. Though these men whom Joshua sent were not long in the house, yet probably, they were there long enough to give this woman a history of God’s wonderful dispensations towards the people of Israel; and doubtless she had heard much of the wonders which God had wrought in Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness; for these events were noised abroad far and near; so that the hearts of all the nations round about trembled at their approach; and now they had been encamped for some time in the plains of Moab, which were over against Jericho.

As every eye was now watchful, the entrance of the spies into the city, and into the house of Rahab, was observed, and immediately information was given to the king of Jericho; for it was told him, “behold there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel, to search out the country.’’ Upon which, the king sent instantly to Rahab’s house; ordering, that she should bring out those men who had come “to search out all the country.” They were now placed in circumstances of peculiar jeopardy; and had not their friendly hostess possessed much presence of mind, as well as faith and courage, their lives would have been forfeited. But she brought them up to the flat roof of her house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had spread out on the roof. And having secreted the spies, she said to the king’s officers, “There came in men unto me, but I wist not whom they were; and it came to pass, about the time of shutting the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I wot not. Pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.” The king’s officers hearing this from an inhabitant of the city, concerning whom they entertained no suspicions, pursued after the spies on the way to Jordan; but when they went out they took the precaution to shut the gates after them, so that if they should happen to be still lurking within the walls, they might be prevented from escaping.

Having put the pursuers upon a wrong scent, Rahab went up to the roof of the house where she had concealed the men, and said, “I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you; for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. Now, therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that ye will show kindness also to my father’s house, and give me a true token. And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” The spies solemnly promised, that her request should be granted. “Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was upon the town- wall — and she said unto them, Get ye to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, and the pursuers be returned; and afterward may ye go your way.” Before the men departed they agreed with her respecting a sign by which the Israelites should be able to distinguish her house; and the token agreed upon was, that the same scarlet line by which she was now about to let them down, should be fastened to the window, and that all her father’s house should be collected in her house, and remain there; for if any of them went out into the street, they would not be security for his life, and his blood should be on his own head. “And whosoever shall be in the house with thee, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath, -which thou hast made us to swear. And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them, away, and they departed, and she bound the scarlet line in the window. And they went and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned. And the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. So the two men returned and descended from the mountain, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befel them. And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land, for even all the inhabitants of the country faint because of us.”

That Rahab was a true believer at this time, and that her conduct in receiving and concealing the spies was pleasing to God, we have the testimony of our inspired Apostle, who places her in that famous list of believers, whose names are recorded in the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews, and says, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” There is no difficulty in understanding how a woman who had lived a licentious life should become a true believer; for many women of the same character became penitents in the time of our Saviour. Indeed, they were more ready to receive his doctrine, and to attach themselves to him as his disciples, than the self-righteous Pharisees. But how can we reconcile with piety, the conduct of Rahab, in telling a palpable falsehood to the king’s officers, in order to preserve the lives of the spies? Is it lawful to do evil that good may come? Is it right, on any occasion, to violate truth? Some have maintained that a falsehood was no sin, when the only end to be answered by it was the preservation of human life, or female chastity; and that there is no moral evil in deceiving those who are engaged in perpetrating a horrible wickedness. They allege, that we are not bound to declare the truth to those who have no right to know it, and whose only motive in demanding it, is that they may commit an atrocious crime. This is a plausible doctrine, and in many cases, would be very convenient to prevent evils which are imminent. But however plausible it may appear, at first sight, it is not sound. If admitted, how far would it lead us? Would it not follow, that, in every case, where we thought we could do good by a falsehood, we are at liberty to resort to it? The consequence then would be, that all confidence among men would be destroyed. We should not know when good men declared any thing, whether to credit it or not; for they might be persuaded, for some reason, that a lie would be promotive of some good end. It will not answer, to say, that the right to tell a lie is confined to cases of great importance, and when by this means evils not otherwise to be avoided, can be prevented; for if we may violate truth for a greater good, we may also for a less; and if the principle be once established, the distinction between greater and less will be of little consequence. Every man will judge for himself, whether the occasion is such as to justify a falsehood; and he will have no clear rule by which to form his judgment. The establishment of such a principle of morality, if it did not expel all truth from the earth, would have the effect to destroy all confidence among men; and would, in this way, introduce innumerable evils. We must maintain, therefore, that a lie is never justifiable; and that, although it is not always necessary to declare all the truth that we know, we are never at liberty to declare that which is not true. This being the correct principle of morals, in regard to speaking the truth, we cannot justify the conduct of Rahab, in resorting to a falsehood to deceive the men who were in pursuit of the spies; and although her faith in receiving the spies is celebrated by Paul, yet he does not praise the means which she used to secrete them. The diflaculty still returns, how can we reconcile the commission of such a sin with the existence of piety. On this I would remark, that the best of human beings are frail and imperfect. Good people often labour under grievous mistakes in regard to the law of God, as well as other things. In early ages there was less light on the subject of moral duty, than in later periods: many things which were then uncertain and obscure, have been elucidated by the experience of ages, and more especially,

by the clearer revelation of the Divine will. In all past ages, some things which are now almost universally reckoned sinful, were not viewed to be wrong. I might give as instances, the persecution of men for their religious opinions when erroneous, and the slave-trade. All the reformers agreed in opinion that heretics ought to be pursued with punishment by the secular power; and until within half a century, no one seems to have considered the moral evil of trading in human beings, and of bringing them into a state of involuntary servitude. During the prevalence of these errors, all sorts of persons participated in the sins which arose out of them. Calvin and Cranmer were concerned in bringing heretics to the stake; but their conduct met with the general approbation of good men at that time. So John Newton, after his conversion, followed the slave-trade, without a suspicion, as he informs us, of its evil; and so did many other good men. But sins of ignorance differ exceedingly from the same sins committed against light. From a careful attention to the history recorded in the Old Testament, it appears, that it was commonly received as a principle, and acted upon by the patriarchs and others, that to preserve life, it was lawful to depart from the truth.

Thus, we find Abraham teaching Sarah to say, that she was his sister, which, though true in a certain sense, was nevertheless intended to deceive. We find Isaac guilty of similar conduct, on a similar occasion. The same is true of many others, and particularly of David, who, on several occasions, declared what was not true; and none of these persons appear to have been sensible that they were doing wrong. It seems, therefore, that in former times, it was admitted as a principle of morals, that it was lawful to utter a falsehood, or to use deceitful words, to preserve life. Is it to be wondered at then, that a woman who had been brought up in idolatry, and had lived a licentious life, and was but just converted to the true religion, should have erred in such a case? It would have been truly wonderful, if in opposition to the universal current of opinion, she had perceived the moral evil of deceiving those who came to apprehend the men whom she believed to be the servants of Jehovah. While therefore, we cannot justify the means which she employed to do good, we can readily believe that her motives were pure, and her faith strong. She erred, indeed, but it was the error not merely of one, but of the age; yea, of all antiquity; in which she had as participants, some of the most eminent saints who ever lived. And we should not be too rigid and censorious in judging the faithful of former ages, when it is not improbable, that our more enlightened posterity may see, that most Christians of the present day, have been living in the practice of some things which to them will appear to be inconsistent with the purity and perfection of Christian morals.

SECTION II.

THE PASSAGE OF THE ISRAELITES OVER THE RIVER JORDAN.

When Joshua had obtained the information which he desired, he removed from Shittim, and encamped on the bank of Jordan. Here he remained for three days; and the officers passed through the host, and marshalled and prepared them for the invasion of the land, which lay before them. “And they commanded the people, saying. When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Come not near to it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go, for ye have not passed this way heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people. Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders. And Joshua Bpake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know, that as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Gergashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth, passeth over before you into Jordan. Now, therefore, take ye twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man; and it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests, that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above, and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests, bearing the ark of the covenant, before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the waters, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks, all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up upon an heap, very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan; and those that came down from the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut oif; and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry gound, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.” The Lord now said to Joshua, “Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man; and command you them, saying. Take you hence, out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones; and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night.” And Joshua directed these twelve men to pass over before the ark of the Lord, and to take up a stone, every man upon his shoulder; that when, in time to come, children should ask their fathers, saying, “What mean ye by these stones? then ye shall answer them, that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord”- — “and these stones shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.” And agreeably to the orders of Joshua, twelve stones were taken up by the men

selected, one from each tribe, and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there;” and Joshua set them for a memorial, where they remained standing for many years. When the congregation of Israel had finished crossing the river, then the priests who had stood all this time at the entrance, also passed over. In the van of this army were forty thousand light armed soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh, who, according to their previous engagement, having received their own inheritance on the east side of the river, now went forward in the front of the host, to aid their brethren in the conquest of the land of Canaan. This passage of Jordan was effected over against the plains of Jericho. Joshua was now held in reverence by the people, as Moses had been before him; and as soon as the priests had come up out of the channel of the river, over which all the people had passed, as on dry land, immediately, the waters of Jordan returned to their place, and flowed over all the banks, as they did before. This remarkable event occurred on the tenth day of the first month, which corresponded with our March or April. The place of the first encampment of the Israelites was at Gilgal, a name given on account of an event to be mentioned immediately. Here the pillar, or monument formed with the twelve stones taken from the bed of the river, was erected, on which occasion, they were commanded to hand down to their children a particular explanation of the purpose for which this monument was raised. “Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land, for the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until you were passed over; as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.”

SECTION III.

CIRCUMCISION OF THE ISRAELITES AT GILGAL — THE PASSOVER IS OBSERVED — THE MANNA CEASES — THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST OF THE LORD APPEARS TO JOSHUA.

When the kings who resided on the west side of Jordan understood that Israel had actually passed the river, and that the Lord had dried up the waters before them, their heart melted within them.

Joshua now received a commandment from the Lord to circumcise the males of the children of Israel; for, although all

184 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH Is’ATION.

who came out of Egypt had there been ch-cumcised; yet this rite had not been performed on any born in the wilderness, on account of their continual journeyings: and nearly all the males therefore, of the whole host had now to submit to this ceremony; for of all who had come out of Egypt, in adult age, no more than two remained. All the men of war, except Caleb and Joshua, had fallen in the wilderness; but many who were children when the Exodus took place, were still living, as indeed God promised that this should be the event, when he sware, that none of the adults should ever enter the promised land. During the time that the people were recovering from the effects of this painful ceremony, they remained in their camp, at Gilgal. “And the Lord said unto Joshua, this day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you,” therefore, the name of the place was called Gilgal, which word means, “to roll away.”

There was a peculiar reason for attending without delay to the duty of circumcision, because the time for the celebration of the passover was near at hand, and it was expressly provided, that no uncircumcised man should be permitted to partake of this ordinance. Whether the passover had been celebrated in the wilderness, we are not informed. If it was, the qualification of circumcision must have been wanting. The probability however is, that this ordinance also was omitted, during the long period of Israel’s sojourning in the wilderness; for they knew not, when stationary, at what moment they might receive the signal to march; and the celebration of the passover with the accompanying feast of unleavened bread, required a period of seven days leisure. But having now entered into Canaan, they kept the passover at the appointed time, on the fourteenth day of Nisan. “And they did eat of the old corn of the land, on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn in the self-same day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” These words of the sacred historian suggest another reason why we should suppose that the passover was not celebrated while the people remained in the wilderness; because during that period, they had no bread suitable for the purpose. They had plenty of manna, but this was a very different thing from bread of wheat or barley. If their enemies had come upon them while sore, in consequence of circumcision, or even while engaged in the observance of the passover, they would have found them in a poor condition to defend themselves; but God had struck such a terror into the minds of the Amorites and Canaanites, that they had no spirit to attempt any thing. Joshua, doubtless, felt great solicitude, in the peculiar circumstances in 7hicl lie was placed; but like Moses, he trusted confidently in the Lord, whose commands he was executing. While the army lay encamped near Jericho, he seems to have taken a solitary walk towards that city, when there appeared to him a man with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua was not a man to be intimidated, and marched up to this armed man, and said, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come.” Joshua perceiving that it was a manifestation of Jehovah himself, “fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, loose the shoe off thy feet; for the place where thou standest is holy ground.”

SECTION IV.

THE CONQUEST OF JERICHO — THE CURSE DENOUNCED BY JOSHUA AGAINST THE MAN

WHO SHOULD REBUILD THIS CITY.

This captain of the Lord’s host who appeared unto Joshua, was Jehovah himself; the Angel of the covenant, who attended the children of Israel in all their pilgrimage. “And the Lord said unto Joshua, see, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns; and the seventh day ye shall compass the city, seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the rams’ horns, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and every man shall ascend up straight before him. And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said unto them. Take up the ark of the covenant, and let the seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord. And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.” When these orders were obeyed by the priests and people, they were further commanded by the leader, not to shout nor to make any noise with their voice, until they should receive a command to do so. And when they had encompassed the city every day for six days, returning each day into the camp, that on the seventh day, Joshua gave orders for the peo-

186 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATIOif.

pie and priests when they had gone round the city, and which on this day they repeated seven times, to shout, for the city was given by the Lord into their hands. And it was declared, that the whole city and all its inhabitants should be devoted to destruction; except, that Rahab and her friends should be spared, because she hid the messengers that had been sent, and had received a solemn promise that she should be preserved. And the people were warned by all means, “to keep themselves from the accursed thing,” lest they should themselves fall under a curse, and bring trouble into the camp of Israel. It was declared, however, that “the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron should be consecrated to Jehovah, and should beloncr to the treasury of the Lord.” And as soon as the priests and people had encompassed the wall the seventh time, on this seventh day, the trumpets were sounded, and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell flat, so that the people went up every one straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. But Joshua gave special orders to the young men who had been sent as spies, “Bring out the woman, and all that she hath as ye sware unto her; and they brought out Rahab and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.” “And they burnt the city with fire and all that was therein; only the silver and the gold, and the vessels of brass and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.”

And Joshua denounced a heavy curse on the man who should rise up and rebuild Jericho, saying, “Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city, Jericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.” This first onset m the invasion of Canaan, and the miraculous overthrow of Jericho, while it raised the fame of Joshua very high, as being the instrument of God’s vengeance, spread consternation among the people of the land.

The imprecation of Joshua in this case was not spoken of himself, but from the inspiration of God; and the words spoken were not a vain, empty threat, but the prediction was literally fulfilled many hundred years afterwards, when Hiel, the Bethelite, laid the foundation of Jericho in his first-born, Abiram, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son, Seirub. 1 Kings xvi. 34. J h,

SECTION V.

THE TRANSGRESSION OF ACHAN — THE ATTACK UPON AI, AND THE DEFEAT OF THE

ISRAELITES JOSHUA’S DISTRESS THE LORD’S COMMUNICATION TO HIM ACHAN

DETECTED AND PUNISHED WITH ALL HIS HOUSE — RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN THIS TRANSACTION.

Notwithstanding the solemn warning which Joshua gave to the people respecting the spoil of the city of Jericho, which was all accursed, and not to be touched, except the silver and the gold, the iron and- brass, which were consecrated to the treasury of the Lord, there was found a man, among the children of Israel, who had not faith and virtue enough to enable him to resist the temptation of purloining and hiding in his tent, some articles on which he had set his covetous heart. This was Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah. On account of this deliberate disobedience of his positive commandment, “the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.”

Jericho being in ruins, Joshua next directed his attention to a city named Ai, which was beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el. According to his usual custom, he took the precaution of sending spies to examine the strength and situation of the place. Their report was, that the inhabitants of this place were not numerous, and that there would be no need for the whole army to be put in motion against a city so inconsiderable; and they recommended, that two or three thousand men should be detailed for this service. Accordingly, Joshua sent three thousand men upon this apparently easy expedition. But the event did not answer the expectation; for, when the men of Ai came out against this band, they seemed to be panic struck, and fled with precipitation, and thirty-six of their number were left dead on the field; and the enemy pursued them from before the gate, even unto Shebarim. Upon this the hearts of the people melted, and became as water; and Joshua appears to have been afilicted and confounded in the greatest degree, for “he rent his clothes, and fell to the ground, upon his face, before the ark of the Lord, until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, alas! 0 Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought the people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan. 0 Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs upon their enemies! For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up, wherefore liest thou upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and have put it even amongst their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs, because they were accursed; neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, sanctify yourselves against to-morrow for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, 0 Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning, therefore, ye shall be brought, according to your tribes; and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the households which the Lord shall take, shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing, shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.” Then the family of the Zarhites was taken — Next, Zabdi was taken; and he brought his household man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. “And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done, and hide it not from me. And Achan said. Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold, of fifty shekels weight, then I courted them, and took them, and behold,

they are hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and behold it (the Babylonish garment) was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and. unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen and his asses, and his sheep and his tent, and all that he had, and brought them to the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day; and all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones;” which remained for a long time in this valley, a monument of God’s displeasure against sin.

In this portion of sacred history, there are several things highly worthy of particular observation. The first is, that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” This man, like Judas, was led away by covetousness. Thousands and tens of thousands are slaves to the same vice. Perhaps no sin is more common in the pale of the Church; for although it often prompts men to rob and steal, and thus expose themselves to infamous punishments, yet this may strike its roots deep, and have entire possession of the man, while no irregularity appears in the outward actions. Often, indeed, covetousness restrains its votaries from vices which can only be practised with expense, because such conflict with its nature.

The next remark is, that however secret men’s crimes may be, and however successfully concealed from the eyes of men, there is an eye which strictly marks them; and often, in the providence of God, sins which were committed in darkness, are unexpectedly and wonderfully revealed. In the case of Achan, the appeal seems to have been to the lot, and this mode of detection was ordered by God himself, and was, therefore, infallible; but unless God direct to such means, for the discovery of secret crimes, it would be presumptuous in us to resort to the lot for the detection of the guilt of a culprit. The displeasure of Jehovah against a deliberate transgression of his positive commandment, is here strangely exhibited; and for the sin of one man, his wrath is enkindled against the whole congregation of Israel. Achan seems to have been penitent, but this could not save him from condign punishment. Repentance sometimes comes too late; or to speak more properly, the regrets of a sinner when his crimes are detected, and punishment about to be inflicted, has in it nothing of the nature of true repentance. And if the unhappy man was pardoned, yet it was necessary that a public example should be made, on such an occasion, for a terror to others. We are taught here also, that God punishes a man’s family with himself. It does not appear that they personally participated in the crime of Achan; but they must suffer with him. His wife and children, and even the dumb ’ animals, are made partakers of his punishment. Men may pronounce this to be unjust, but God will not subject himself to be judged at our bar. The Judge of all the earth will do right; but little do we know, in many cases, what it becomes him to do. The truth is, that his whole administration by his providence, recognizes this same principle. Children are involved in the poverty, in the disgrace, and in the diseases of their parents; and who will undertake to arraign the Almighty, and pronounce sentence of condemnation upon him? His ways are always just and equal, although the reasons of his conduct may not be revealed unto us. Burning alive was not one of the punishments usually inflicted in the Jewish commonwealth; but in this case, and some others, the bodies were burned after death.

This translation furnishes the only instance, as far as I recollect, of any thing censurable said or done by Joshua. His confidence in God, and obedience to his will, seems to have approximated near to perfection; but when he saw the people, in a dastardly manner, fleeing before their enemies, his spirit was overwhelmed, and he said, “Would to God that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!” This was wrong; for God had promised Canaan to Israel, and had specially commissioned Joshua to invade the land, and had miraculously opened his way to take possession. But Joshua, like Moses, his predecessor, was more concerned for the glory of God’s great name, than about his own welfare or reputation. We see what misery and confusion a single sin may produce in a family, and a nation. As to the punishment inflicted on this unhappy man and his family, Joshua had nothing to do with it, but to execute the commandment of Jehovah. In this, as in all the other severe inflictions of vengeance on the inhabitants of Canaan, Joshua can no more be charged with cruelty than the angel who slew the first-born of Egypt, or on him who in one night slew a hundred and four score thousand men in the Assyrian army. Whatever God commands must be done. No obligation can exist to the contrary, when he makes known his will. Even Abraham must consent to slay his only and well beloved son, in whom all the promises concentred, when Jehovah commanded him to make this sacrifice. And as it relates to the divine attributes, there is nothing more derogatory to justice and goodness in taking away the lives of men, women, and children, by the sword of men, than by the hand of an angel; and nothing in either of these methods of putting an end to human life, more inconsistent with these attributes, than accomplishing the same thing by an earthquake, a famine, or a plague. The objection to this part of the sacred history is, therefore, without foundation.

When the wickedness of a nation rises to a certain pitch, or fulness, it seems necessary that they should be exterminated. In the time of Abraham, it is given as a reason why God did not put him in possession of the land of Canaan, “that the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full;” but now, in the time of Joshua, they were ripe for destruction. When a people are universally addicted to unnatural and abomlnalDle crimes, it is right — it is best, that they should be swept from the earth. Such was the moral condition of the old world, before the deluge — such was the state of Sodom and Gomorrah; and such now was the moral character of the inhabitants of Canaan.

SECTION VI.

AI AGAIN ASSAULTED AND TAKEN BY STRATEGEM, AND UTTERLY DESTROYED — JOSHUA ERECTS AN ALTAR IN EBAL AND OFFERS SACRIFICES — WRITES A COPY OF THE LAW ON STONES — FROM MOUNT GERIZIM AND EBAL PRONOUNCES THE BLESSINGS AND THE CURSES.

AcHAN being now removed, the obstacle to a successful attack upon Ai no longer existed, and God commanded Joshua to march fearlessly against the place; saying, “I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land; and thou shalt do to Ai, and her king, as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves.” Joshua was directed to place an ambush behind the city. Accordingly he selected thirty thousand men, and sent them off by night to take a position near the city, but behind it; with directions, that as soon as he and the main body of the army should come before the city, and by a feigned retreat should draw out the men of the city in pursuit, then they should rise up from their ambush, and seize the city, and set it on fire. That night Joshua lodged in the midst of the people; and early in the morning he arose and marshalled the host, and marched in their front, with the elders of Israel, up to Ai, and pitched on the north side of the city. Between the camp of the Israelites and Ai, there was a valley; here he placed another ambush on the west of the city, of five thousand men; and he himself spent that night in the midst of this valley. The king of Ai, flushed with his former victory, and confident of success, was not backward to commence hostilities; but he was not aware that he was almost encompassed by his enemies; and, especially, he had no suspicion of the ambush which lay concealed behind the city. Joshua and all Israel, as soon as they were attacked, “made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.” All the men of Ai instantly pursued after them, and were drawn away from the city,; so that there “was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel.” And fearing nothing, they left the city open. Joshua now gave the preconcerted signal to the men who lay in ambush, and “they arose, and entered into the city, and took it, and hasted, and set the city on fire.” And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people of Israel who had fled towards the wilderness, turned back upon the pursuers, and seeing the smoke of the city ascending, they fell upon the men of Ai, and slew them. And the men who had seized the city now came forth, and attacked the men of Ai on the other side; so that being hemmed in by two armies, none of them were permitted to escape. But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. When the Israelites had smitten the inhabitants of Ai in the field, they proceeded, according to the commandment of the Lord, to put to the sword all who remained in the city. “And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand.” “Eor Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil, Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according to the word of the Lord, which he commanded Joshua. And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap and desolation for ever. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree, until eventide; and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones.

Joshua having again proved victorious over his enemies, and being an eminently devout man, who had feared God from his youth, he availed himself of the interval of rest which he now enjoyed, to fulfil the command of God given to Moses, and he erected an altar in mount Ebal, to the Lord God of Israel. “As Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses. An altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lifted up any iron. And they offered thereon burnt-olferings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace-offerings. And he wrote these upon the stones, a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that side, before the pi’iests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord; as well the stranger as he that was born among them: half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them against mount Ebal; as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.” (Josh, viii.)

SECTION VII.

THE GIBEONITES DECEIVE JOSHUA AND THE PRINCES, AND OBTAIN FROM THEM AN

OATH THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE DESTROYED THE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE HAD

THEM TO VIOLATE THEIR ENGAGEMENT AND DESTROY THIS PEOPLE WHO HAD IMPOSED ON THEM — JOSHUA CONSIDERS THE OATH OBLIGATORY — THE GENERAL SUBJECT OF THE OBLIGATION OF VOWS.

Hitherto the people of Canaan appear to have been so panic-struck, that they had not the consideration to enter into any league or combination with one another, to make opposition to the formidable host who had invaded the country. But at length, recovering, in a manner, from the stupor into which fear had cast them, they began to concert measures for their own defence. The kings which were in the hills and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, received intelligence of the progress of the invading army, and gathered together, with one accord, to fight with Joshua and with Israel.

But the Gibeonites, who were near, when they heard of the utter destruction of Jericho and Ai, and probably knew that Joshua’s orders were to exterminate all the nations of Canaan, resolved to have recourse to deceit and cunning to avoid the impending destruction. “They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors; and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-bottles, old and rent, and bound up; and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them. And all the bread of their provisions was dry and mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country, and therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, (for the Gibeonites belonged to this nation) peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, we are thy servants. And Joshua said. Who are ye? And whence come ye? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the Lord thy God; for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth; wherefore our elders, and all the inhabitants of our country, spake unto us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them; and say unto them, We are your servants, therefore, now make ye a league with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses, in the day we came forth to go unto you; but now behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy. xo

And these bottles of “wine wliicli we filled were new, and beliold, they are rent; and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them; and made a league with them to let them live; and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass, at the end of three days, after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.” And on the third day, the children of Israel came to their cities, the names of which were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. “And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel.” But the congregation were not contented with the conduct of their princes in sparing the Gibeonites, and murmured against them on account of this thing, probably because they were disappointed in their expectation of the spoil of these wealthy cities. “But all the princes said unto all the congregation. We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel, now, therefore, we may not touch them. This we will do to them, we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation.” “And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying. Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, we were very far from you, when you dwell among us? Now, therefore, ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. And they answered Joshua and said. Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore, we were sore afraid of our lives, because of you, and have done this thing. And now behold, we are in thine hand; as it seemeth right unto thee to do unto us, do. And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hands of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.” It would seem that it was attended with some difficulty to rescue these people out of the hands of the congregation, who were intent on their destruction. I have ascribed this destructive inclination to avarice; but it may have originated in a conscientious regard to the divine authority; and to an opinion that an oath obtained by fraud and falsehood was not obligatory.

We noticed one wrong thing in Joshua, when Israel fled before the men of Ai; and here we find that he failed again im that vigilance -wliich was required by his high and responsible station. When the ambassadors of the Gibeonites appeared before him, and told a false but plausible story, Joshua entered into a treaty with them, without applying to the Lord for direction, which he had the privilege of doing at all times. By depending on appearances, and confiding in his own judgment, he was led into error, and connected Israel in a league with a people whom the Lord had positively commanded him to destroy.

In this transaction, we learn how solemn and inviolable is the obligation of an oath. Although this oath was obtained by fraud, and was injurious to the interests of the children of Israel; yet it was not judged lawful to nullify or violate it. No doubt there may be cases in which an oath, obtained by falsehood and fraud, is void, and the person swearing is free from guilt, although he fails to perform what he has bound himself by an oath to do; but when we are deceived through our own negligence, and the thing promised is not in itself unlawful, an oath or vow is obligatory. No injury or inconvenience which the fulfilment will occasion the person, can exempt him from its sacred obligation. To take an oath is a solemn act of religion, but should never be resorted to, unless there exists a real necessity for it; and when a man has laid such a bond upon his soul, he should with all sincerity and fidelity perform the thing which has proceeded out of his mouth. “It is better not to vow, than to vow and not pay.” And the upright man described in the fifteenth Psalm, is represented “as swearing to his hurt and not changing.” The subjection of these Gibeonites to a state of bondage and servile labour, was a just punishment for the imposition which they practised.

SECTION VIII.

POWERFUL COMBINATION OF THE KINGS OF CANAAN TO DESTROY THE GIBEONITES — JOSHUA IS MADE ACQUAINTED WITH THEIR DANGER, AND HASTENS TO THEIR RELIEF — COMBINED KINGS DEFEATED — WONDERFUL MIRACLE OF THE SUN STAND-ING STILL THE EXECUTION OF FIVE KINGS.

The combination of most of the kings of the country was rendered more firm, in consequence of the conduct of the Gibeonites; for “Gibeon was a great city,” and was situated in the very heart of the country. The chief of this combined force was Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, who associated with himself, Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Deber king of Eglon; and their first object was to smite Gibeon, on account of the defection of which city they were greatly incensed; and policy led them to wish to destroy an enemy existing in their midst. These five kings, therefore, marched against Gibeon, and besieged the city, while Joshua and the Israelites were still encamped at Gilgal. The Gibeonites being utterly unable to resist so great a force, as now appeared before them, sent an express to Joshua, to come speedily to their succour, saying, “Slack not thy hand from thy servants, come up to us quickly, and save us and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.” When Joshua received this urgent message, he determined to march immediately to the aid of his new allies, or subjects rather; and in doing this, he did not proceed without Divine direction, as in the case of forming a league with his people; for “the Lord said unto him, Fear them not, for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.” Joshua, that he might come upon the combined forces of the kings of the Amorites unexpectedly, marched during the whole night, and suddenly fell upon them and smote them with a great slaughter, and he chased them along the way that goeth to Beth-horon, Azekah, and Makkedah. And to aid Joshua in this important battle, the Lord fought from heaven, by sending upon the Amorites hail-stones of enormous size; so that there were more that died with the hail-stones than were slain by the sword.

As the natural day was insufficient for the destruction of this numerous host, Joshua was enabled to perform one of the most stupendous miracles which ever took place on our globe. Inspired with a strong faith in the power of God, he said, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon.” “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.” “So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day: and there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.” Many ingenious conjectures have been indulged by the learned critics, by which the extraordinary character of this miracle might be so explained, as to render it more easy to be believed. But their learned labour is not needed. It is as easy for God to stop the sun in his course, as to perform any other work. It need not be objected, that the language is not consistent with sound philosophy, because the sun does not move, or go down and rise; for the langungc used is agreeable to the usage of all nations, and of all individuals who speak intelligibly. The most accurate and learned astronomer, when speaking or writing for the instruction of the common people, or indeed, for any people, always employs the popular language. To do otherwise would not only be insufierable pedantry, but ridiculous folly. It is poorly worth while for any to strive to make the miracle less than it appears to be; for, as was hinted, it is as easy for God to work a great as a small miracle — to stop the wheels of nature, as to move an atom. It has also been solicitously inquired, whether profane history contains any vestige of this wonderful miracle; and it has been supposed that both in Egypt and China some vague tradition of the event had been handed down. But here again, we need care but little whether heathen writers contain any notice of this astonishing event or not; for we know that their authentic histories do not commence until a thousand years after the time of Joshua. The five kings, whose army was utterly defeated, fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua, upon being informed of this, directed the cave to be closed with great stones, and guarded, to prevent their escape. The fleeing remnants of the routed army were pursued, and many of them slain, before they could enter into their famed cities. When Joshua and his men had returned from the pursuit and slaughter of their enemies, he gave orders that the mouth of the cave should be opened, and the kings brought out; and he called for all the men of Israel to assemble, and ordered the captains of the men of war to put their feet upon the necks of these kings. And Joshua said, “Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong, and of good courage, for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.” These five kings were now brought out and slain, and hanged on five trees, where they remained suspended until the evening. And at the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded that they should be taken down ofi” the trees, and cast into the cave in which they had hid themselves. He now proceeded to destroy the city of Makkedah, as he had destroyed Jericho. He left nothing remaining alive, according to the word of the Lord. And from Makkedah, Joshua marched against Libnah, which he treated in the same manner. And from Libnah he passed to Lachish, and although Horam king of Gezar came to help Lachish, it availed nothing; for this city was devoted to destruction in the same manner as those already mentioned. And from Lachish he marched against Eglon, “and fought against it, and they took it, and smote it with the edore of the sword, and all

the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed.” The next city which they attacked was Hebron, which was devoted to utter destruction. The same was done to Debir. Thus Joshua conquered all the hill-country, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings; all the country from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza; and from Goshen to Gibeon. “And all these kings, and their land, did Joshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.”

SECTION IX.

A NEW COMBINATION UNDER JABIN — JOSHUA DEFEATS HIBI, AND TAKES HAZOR, HIS CAPITOL — CONQUEST OF THE WHOLE HILL-COUNTKY — PARTS UNCONQUERED.

These rapid conquests and the total destruction which ensued, struck terror into the inhabitants of the land far and wide. A new combination of kings was therefore formed, under the influence and direction of Jabin, king of Hazor, who associated wdth himself, Jobab king of Madon, together with the kings of Shimron, and of Achshaph. To these were added the kings that were on the north of the mountains’; and on the plains of Cinneroth; and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor, on the west. And besides these, Jabin called to his aid the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh. When all these were gathered together, with their horses and chariots, they formed a very numerous army, who, in multitude, were like the sand upon the sea-shore. And this mighty host came and pitched at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. “And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them, for to-morrow, about this time, I will deliver them all slain before Israel; thou shalt hough their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” So Joshua came suddenly upon them at the waters of Merom, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who chased them and smote them to great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward. And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire; and he turned back and took Hazor, the capital of Jabin, which was the head of all the surrounding kingdoms; and after putting all the inhabitants to the sword, he burnt the city with fire. In the same manner did Joshua destroy all the cities of the kings, who were confederated with Jabin. “And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves.” But as to those cities which stood still, and entered not into this confederacy, Joshua burned none of them.

Thus did Joshua subdue all the hill-country, and all the south country; and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel and the valley of the same; even from mount Halak that goeth unto Seir, unto Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon, under mount Hermon. Tor a long time Joshua was engaged in making war with all those kings. “There was not a city that made peace with the Israelites, save the riivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour; as the Lord commanded Moses.”

The Anakims who dwelt in Hebron, Debir and Anab, who had filled the Israelites with so great dismay formerly, were now attacked by Joshua, and cut off from the mountains of Judah. The only remnants of the children of Anak, inhabited Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel, according to their divisions, by their tribes. And the land rested from war.”

The following is a succinct view of the country conquered, and taken possession of by the children of Israel. On the other side Jordan, towards the rising sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Ilermon, and all the plain on the east; and from Aroer, which is on the bank of Arnon, unto the river Jabbok, which is on the border of Ammon. And from the plain to the sea of Cinneroth on the east, even to the sea of the plain, which is the salt-sea on the east. This country which had belonged to Og king of Bashan, who was of the family of the giants; and to Sihon king of Heshbon, did Moses, the servant of the Lord, give to the Keubenites and Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

And the country which Joshua subdued, on this side Jordan, extended from Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon, to mount Halak. The towns conquered were thirty and one, viz: Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, Lasharon, Madon, Hazor, Shimron-meron, Achshaph, Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jokneam of Carmel, Dor, Gilgal, and Tirzah.

The conquests which Joshua made were very important, as the cities which he subdued were situated in the centre of the country, and contained the densest population. But many districts and towns remained still in the possession of the original inhabitants, whom God directed Joshua to exterminate. He was now, however, far advanced in years, and less fit than formerly for the incessant labours and watchings which appertained to a military commander. “And the Lord said unto him. Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.” The unconquered country extended from Sihor on the confines of Egypt, to the borclers of Ekron, northward. This territory lay along the Mediterranean Sea, and included the five lords of the Philistines, who are so conspicuous in the wars waged by the Israelites. The Canaanites, who inhabited the south; the region round about Sidon, together with the country on the east of Lebanon, and extending to mount Hermon, unto the entrance of Hamath, were still unconquered. All these nations the Lord had promised to drive out from before the children of Israel.

SECTION X.

JOSHUA DIVIDES THE LAND AMONG THE NINE AND A HALF TRIBES — CALEB’S

SPEECH AND PORTION OTHNIEL CONQUERS KIHJATH-ZEPHER, AND RECEIVES

CALEB’S DAUGHTER ACHSAH AS HIS REWARD LOT OF JUDAH OF EPHRAIM

HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH THE CASE OF ZELOPHEHAD CHILDREN OF JOSEPH

COMPLAIN OF THE NARkoWNESS OF THEIR LIMITS.

Orders were now given to Joshua to proceed to the division of the land by lot, between the nine and a half tribes, who as yet had not received their inheritance; for, as has been related, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, had received their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, agreeably to their own request; still, however, the land allotted to them was not entirely subdued; for some of the former inhabitants continued to dwell in the land among the Israelites. This was particularly the case in regard to the Geshurites and the Maachathites. The country of the Amorites, on the east of Jordan, which was distributed by lot among these two tribes and a half, was very rich in cities, and abundant in pastures; on which account, it was chosen by the Reubenites and Gadites, because they abounded in cattle. It will be remembered, in all the accounts of dividing the land among the twelve tribes, Levi is never reckoned, for with the two sons of Joseph, whom Jacob adopted as his own sons, there were twelve without counting the tribe of Levi; that is, Joseph himself is not reckoned, but each of his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, was counted as a distinct tribe. The reason of the exclusion of the tribe of Levi from a share in the division of the country, is very remarkable, and is often and emphatically repeated — “Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire, are their” inheritance;” or, as it is elsewhere expressed, “the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance.” Besides Joshua, there was but one man remaining in Israel, who was grown to maturity, when the people came out of Egypt. This was Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenezite. He was of the spies whom Moses sent to survey the land, and with Joshua, not only gave a true report of the goodness of the land, but having faith in God, these men encouraged the people to go up immediately and take possession of the country. While by a solemn oath Jehovah declared that none of the rest of the people who came out of Egypt at adult age, should enter Canaan, it wag promised that this honour and reward should be conferred on Joshua and Caleb. In this respect, they had the preference to Moses himself and Aaron the saint of the Lord, both of whom were excluded from this privilege, on account of improper conduct at Meribah. When Joshua and Eleazar, and the heads of the fathers, had come together to make a division of the land, the venerable patriarch Caleb presented himself before them, and delivered the following speech: “Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses, the man of God, concerning thee and me, in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to to spy out the land, and I brought him word again, as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren that went up with me, made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses sware, on that day, saying, surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever; because thou hast wholly followed the Lord thy God. And now, behold the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old: and yet I am strong this day, as I was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, even so now is my strength for war, both to go out and to come in. Now, therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day, (for thou heardest in that day, how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced,) if so be the Lord will be with me,

then I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” “And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Hebron, for an inheritance.” This city was therefore established to his family, and was possessed by them for a long period; “because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.” The original name of Hebron, was Kirjath-arba, which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. Caleb, however, had to dispossess the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, who had their residence in Hebron. And as Debir, the former name of which was Kirjath-sepher, belonged to his inheritance, Caleb promised his daughter Achsah, to whomsoever would smite this city and take it out of the hands of the inhabitants. And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, enterprised the conquest of this place, and accomplished it, and received the prize which had been offered. Achsah was probably the only daughter of this venerable patriarch; and slio seems to have possessed a great influence over her father; for although he had given her a possession, called the “South land,” yet she requested another, which contained springs of water. “And he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.” The inheritance of Caleb fell within the limits of the tribe of Judah. The land which was allotted to this numerous and important tribe, was bounded on the west by the great, or Mediterranean sea, on the south by the river of Egypt, which was the southern boundary of the Holy Land; on the east by the salt, or Dead sea, and by a line running north from this sea to Jerusalem, which passed through the valley of the son of Hinnom, and terminated in the midst of Jebus or Jerusalem, where it met the possession of Benjamin; and the northern boundary passed off to the great sea, in a line somewhat circuitous. This was an exceedingly fertile and populous region, and was crowded with strongholds and walled towns. The sacred historian mentions nearly a hundred cities which fell within the inheritance of Judah. Many of these were large and populous; but we should remember, that every town which was enclosed by a wall, and entered by gates, is, in the language of Scripture, called a city.

The next tribe which received its inheritance was that of Ephraim, which included a large territory, extending from Jordan to the Mediteranean; and contained within its limits the inheritance of some of the lesser tribes; as did also that of Judah.

Manasseh had received on the east of Jordan, the one-half part of their inheritance; the remaining part was allotted to them along-side of the territory of Ephraim.

In regard to one family in this tribe, there occurred a case which was brought for decision “before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes.” The case was, that Zelophehad the son of Heiher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These laid claim to the inheritance of their father; and indeed, Moses had determined by Divine direction, that when there were no sons, the daughters should inherit; so that the land might be kept within its proper tribe. These heiresses were, however, required to contract marriages only with men of their own tribe.

Several of the cities allotted to Manasseh, were situated within the limits of Ephraim; for the sacred historian says, “Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the children of Ephraim. And the coast descended unto the river Kanah, southward of the river; these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manassell.” This must mean that some of the cities which were allotted to Manasseh lay within the borders of Ephraim. And the river Kanah was the dividing line on one part between these tribes; for it is said,” southward it was Ephraim’s and northward it was Manasseh’s; and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east. And Manasseh had also several towns within the borders of Issachar and Asher.

On account of this mixture of the tribes, in their possessions, it is rendered impossible, to delineate distinctly, the geography of the habitations of the several tribes. Most maps are in this respect very inaccurate, and the possessions of the tribes laid down by mere conjecture. That territory which included Bethshean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, with the towns and villages which lay in these districts, was the principal part of the inheritance of the tribe of Manasseh. But although this fine country was allotted to them, they possessed really only a small portion of it; for they “could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land;” yet when the Israelites waxed strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly drive them out.

The children of Joseph, although they obtained the best of the land, yet were not well satisfied with their portion, therefore, they spake to Joshua, saying, “Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto? And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there, in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, the hill is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites that dwell in the valley have chariots of iron. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people and hast great power, thou shalt not have one lot only, but the mountain shall be thine, and thou shalt cut it down; and the outgoings of it shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.”

SECTION XI.

8HIL0H THE RESIDENCE OF THE ARK — SEVEN TRIBES TET DESTITUTE OF AN INHERI-TANCE — THE LOTS OF BENJAMIN OF SIMEON OF ZEBULUN OF ISSACHAR OF

ASHER — OF NAPHTALI — OF DAN JOSHUA’S INHERITANCE.

About this time Shiloh was selected as the place to which the tribes of Israel should resort for divine worship; and at this place the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation.

“But there remained among the children of Israel, seven tribes which had not received their inheritance.” And as they seemed reluctant to go forward to take possession of the land allotted to them, Joshua exhorted them earnestly, and said, “How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you.” And he directed them to select three men from each tribe, to go through the land and describe it, according to the inheritance of each; and to divide it into seven parts, not interfering with the allotments already made. These men went forth through the land, and described it by cities, into seven parts, in a book, and brought it to Joshua, who cast lots for them, in Shiloh, before the Lord.

As we have seen, Judah had a large territory in the south of Palestine, and the sons of Joseph to the north. Now, upon casting lots, the inheritance of Benjamin came up between these two; that is, between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. Their possession extended from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, but was very narrow, being a mere slip of land, running along the north border of the tribe of Judah. Jerusalem was partly within the lot of Benjamin, and partly within the tribe of Judah. The inheritance of Benjamin was of an irregular shape, for while it lay along the northern limit of Judah, it also included a slip of land on the east of Judah, extending from Jericho to the mouth of the Jordan. The number of cities which fell to this tribe was twenty-six.

The next lot came forth to Simeon, whose inheritance was entirely included within the limits of Judah; for it was found, that the children of Judah had an undue proportion allotted to them; therefore, seventeen cities were given to the Simeonites, out of their inheritance. This was by far the smallest tribe of the twelve, and owing to a destruction caused by the divine judgments upon them, when they entered Canaan, their number was not half as great as when they left Egypt. And as these cities were not contiguous to each other, but scattered through various parts of the tribe of Judah, that prophecy by the mouth of Jacob was fulfilled, which saith of Simeon and Levi, “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.”

The next lot which came up was for Zebulun. The inheritance of this tribe was in a very fertile country, near the sea of Cinneroth or Galilee, as it was afterwards called; and, indeed, the territory of this tribe formed a part of the district of country, which, in after times, obtained the name of Galilee. The number of cities allotted to Zebulun was only twelve, but the soil was exceedingly fertile, and they could extend their border northward without restriction.

The inheritance of Issachar touched upon that of Manasseh, and extended from mount Tabor on the west, to the river Jordan. The number of their cities was sixteen.

The inheritance of Asher lay along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, including mount Carmel on the south, and the “strong city of Tyre,” and “great Zidon,” on the north. This territory though small in extent, was the richest of all, on account of the very lucrative trade which was carried on within its borders; answering to Jacob’s prophecy, “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.”

Naphtali had a fertile inheritance along the Jordan, and on the sea of Cinneroth, along-side of Zebulun. These two tribes are therefore commonly mentioned together, in the prophets. “The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.” This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, when the Lord Jesus Christ came and dwelt in Capernaum, which city was on the borders of these two tribes. And by his preaching and miracles, in that dark region, was fulfilled the other part of the prophecy, which is thus applied by the evangelist Matthew: “The people which sat in darkness saAV great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.

Dan was the last tribe which received their inheritance. Their territory lay on the extreme north, and the land which was left from the other lots was too small for Dan, which was a numerous people. They were, however, an enterprising and warlike tribe, and therefore, they marched against a place called Leshem, which they took, and having put the inhabitants to the sword, they dwelt in their place; but changed its name from Leshem to Dan, after the name of their father. This name has given rise to an infidel objection to the sacred Scriptures; for it is alleged, that this place was called Dan as early as the time of Abraham, for it is related in Genesis, that he pursued the army who had taken Lot, unto Dan. To this objection, bishop Watson answers, first, that there is no proof that by the word Ban a city is intended; that in ancient maps the river Jordan is laid down, as formed by two streams in this very region, the one of which ^Yas named Jor, and the other

Dan; out of -wMcli two words, was formed Jordan. And in the second place, he shows that where the name of a city is changed, the old name becomes obsolete, and is forgotten, and the name substituted is usually inserted in all documents which are in common use; for otherwise the people would not know what place is spoken of.

After the division of the land among the tribes, the children of Israel requested Joshua to select an inheritance for himself; for this disinterested man had as yet appropriated no portion of the country to his own use, nor had he laid in any claim; but now at the request of the people, he asked for Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim. There he built a city, which he made the place of his residence until his death.

Thus was the land of Canaan divided by lot among the several tribes, by Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the children of Israel. This whole transaction took place in Shiloh, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. It was a solemn, religious act; an appeal to Jehovah, to designate the habitations and possessions of each tribe; and it would seem from an attentive consideration of the history, that not only the inheritance of each tribe, but of each family, was determined by the religious use of the lot. Indeed, unless this was the fact, the utmost confusion must have attended the distribution of the land among the people.

SECTION XII.

CITIES OF REFUGE APPOINTED — CITIES FOR THE LEVITES — SUBURBS TO THE CITIES

ALSO GRANTED.

The important business of dividing the land among the several tribes having been accomplished, Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, proceeded to execute certain orders which Jehovah had given to Moses. The first was, to appoint cities of refuge, to which “the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee,” when he was pm-sued by the avenger of blood. By this law it was ordained, “that when he that doth flee unto one of these cities, shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand, because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not before-time. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment; and until the death of the high-priest that shall be in those days. Then shall the slayer return and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.” “And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba (which is Hebron) in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.”

The next thing which claimed their attention was a provision for the residence of the Levites. As they received no inheritance in land, with the other tribes, it was altogether necessary that they should have cities assigned to them, in which they might dwell. This had been directed in the time of Moses, and now, when all the other tribes had been put in the possession of their inheritance, “the heads of the fathers of the Levites came unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. And they spake unto them at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites, out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs.” The first allotment of cities was made to the family of Aaron, thirteen cities, most of which were selected from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. There was a wise providence in placing the priests in cities near to the place of the tabernacle, that they might be at hand to take their turn of service in the sanctuary. The remainder of the family of Kohath received their allotment of cities from the tribe of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

The family of Gershon received by lot out of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali; and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

The children of Merari out of the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, twelve cities.

The whole number of cities given to the Levites was forty-eight; and with every city there were suburbs, including a certain territory round about the city, for their flocks and herds.

“And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land, which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all he sware unto their fathers. And there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.”

SECTION XIII.

THE ARMED MEN OF THE TWO AND A HALF TRIBES HAVE LEAVE TO RETURN —

JOSHUA’S TESTIMONY AND EXHORTATION THEY BUILD AN ALTAR NEAR JORDAN

IMPRESSION OF THIS EVENT ON ISRAEL THEIR DEPUTATION AND SOLEMN MES-SAGE — THEIR SATISFACTORY ANSWER — THE PEOPLE REJOICED AT THE SUCCESSFUL ISSUE.

The conquest of Canaan being now so far completed that there was no longer any occasion for the services of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who had aided their brethren through the “v’hole war, they were dismissed by Joshua, to return home to their families beyond Jordan, with the following ample testimony of their fidelity, and solemn warning to be obedient to the commands of God. “Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them; therefore, now, return ye unto your families, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you, on the other side Jordan. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him and serve him, with all your heart, and with all your soul.” “So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away, and they went unto their tents.” And Joshua said, “Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and “with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.” The children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh took their leave of their brethren at Shiloh, and took up their march for their possessions in the land of Gilead. But when they came to the border of Jordan, they built there a great altar, which was intended to be a visible memorial of their relation to that land. Their brethren of the other tribes, upon hearing of this transaction, supposing that the object was to set up a separate place of worship, and to forsake the tabernacle of the Lord at Shiloh, were greatly excited, and having assembled at Shiloh, they determined to go up and prevent this schismatical course by the force of arms. But wiser counsels prevailed; and they resolved before going against their brethren in hostile array, to send a deputation to inquire into the affair. Accordingly, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, was selected as the head of this embassy, and with him ten princes, each one of whom was the head of the house of their fathers, among the thousands of Israel. And when they came to their brethren, they said, “Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, but that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? And it will be, seeing ye rebel to-day against the Lord, that to-morrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us; but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man perished not alone in his iniquity.” To which deputation and message, the children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, returned the following answer:” The Lord God of gods, the

Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel shall know, if it be in rebellion, or in transgression against the Lord, (save us not this day,) that we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord; or if to offer thereon burnt-offering, or if to offer peace-offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it; and if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying. In time to come, your children might speak unto our children, saying, “What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan between us and you; ye children of Reuben and children of Gad, ye have no part in the Lord. So shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord. Therefore, we said. Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice; but that it may be a witness between us and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord before him, with our burnt-offerings and peace-offerings; that “our children may not say to our children, in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord. Therefore, said we, it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, not for burnt-offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt-offerings, for meat-offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord our God that is before his tabernacle.”

Phinehas and the princes associated with him were entirely satisfied with this explanation, and said to the children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lord: now, ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.” And when the deputation returned to the children of Israel, and made a report of their interview with their brethren, the thing pleased “the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.”

“And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar ED: for it shall be a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

SECTION XIV.

PROSPEROUS CONDITIOPT OF ISRAEL — JOSHUA’S SOLEMN ADDRESS TO THE ELDERS

AND PEOPLE HIS VALEDICTORY HIS PROPOSAL THAT THEY SHOULD NOW CHOOSE

WHOM THEY WOULD SERVE — DECEASE OF JOSHUA AND ELEAZAR.

Things now went on prosperously with the Israelites for many years. Their enemies round about were subdued, and they had taken possession of their respective inheritances. Joshua still lived in the midst of them; and there are many strong proofs, that this generation which took possession of Canaan, was more distinguished for ready obedience to the commandments of God, than any other before or after. Their zeal for the purity of God’s worship, according to his appointment, is remarkably manifest in the preceding history. The disposition of the people generally may also be inferred from the good conduct of the children of Reuben, Gad, and half-tribe of Manasseh, as appears by the testimony of Joshua, and by their pious and conciliatory conduct as evinced in the foregoing history.

But Joshua having now become an old man, called for all Israel and their elders, and for their heads and their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, “I am old and stricken in age, and ye have seen all that the Lord God hath done unto all these nations, because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut ofi”, even unto the great sea westward. And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight, and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised to you. Be ye, therefore, very courageous to keep and to do all that is “written in the Look of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom, to the right Band or to the left; that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you, neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them; neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: but cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand; for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed, therefore, unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: know for a certainty, that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from oif this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth, and ye know in all your hearts and all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you: all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from this good land, which the Lord your God hath given you. When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them: then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.”

Some time after the delivery of this solemn and admonitory discourse, Joshua collected, not merely the princes and heads of the tribes, and elders and officers, but gathered unto Shechem all the tribes of Israel, and addressed them as follows: “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac; and I gave unto Isaac, Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau, mount Seir, to possess it, but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. I sent Moses also and Aaron, and plagued Egypt, according to that “which I did amongst them, and afterward I brought you out. And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers, with chariots and horsemen, unto the Red sea. And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt; and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you. Then Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel; and sent and called Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse you; but I would not hearken unto Balaam, therefore he blessed you still, and I delivered you out of his hand. And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you; the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them: of the vineyards and olive-yards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now, therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him, in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” “And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods. For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up, and our fathers, out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed. And the Lord drave out from before us, all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land; therefore will we also serve the Lord, for he is our God. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is an holy God: he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the Lord. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him; and they said, We are witnesses.” “Now, therefore,” (said he,) “put

away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and set it up there, under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said unto all the people, behold this stone shall be a witness unto us: for it hath heard all the words of the Lord, which he hath spoken unto us: and it shall, therefore, be a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. And Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.”

“And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel.

“And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of silver; and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

“And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.”

Thus all the men of this pious and obedient generation were gathered to their fathers. Probably the period which intervened between the conquest of the land, and the decease of Joshua, Eleazar, and their contemporaries, was the most peaceful and prosperous which this nation ever enjoyed; confirming practically the truth of that aphorism of Solomon, Righteousness EXALTETH A NATIO]^.

SECTIOX XV.

JUDAH AND SIMEON DIRECTED TO ATTACK THE CANAANITES — THOUGH SUCCESSFUL

THEY COULD NOT EXPEL THE CANAANITES FROM EVERY PART OF THEIR LOT

BENJAMIN NOT ABLE TO EXPEf, THE .lEBUSITES MANASSEH VERY UNSUCCESSFUL

IN RECLAIMING THEIR POSSESSION SOLEMN MESSAGE OF THE ANGEL OF GOD

CHARACTER OF THE GENERATION WHO FIRST POSSESSED CANAAN THE PEOPLE

FORSAKE GOD AFTER THE DECEASE OF THIS GENERATION GOD RAISES UP JUDGES

WHEN THE JUDGES WERE DEAD THEY AGAIN GRIEVOUSLY PROVOKED GOD TO

ANGER.

After the death of Joshua, it was determined to make a fresh attack upon the Canaanites, a large number of whom continued in the midst of the Israelites, and retained the possession of some very important places; but it was piously resolved to ask counsel of God, and to ascertain his will, in regard to the particular tribes which should engage in this expedition. The answer of the Lord was, that Judah should go up against the Canaanites; and it was promised that the land should be delivered into his hand. But as the lot of Simeon was included in that of Judah, so that they might be said to have a common interest in the conquest, it was agreed that they should unite their forces, until the conquest was completed. The king who made most resistance was Adoni-bezek, whom they found in Bezek, which no doubt was his residence and possession; for his name signifies “the lord of Bezek;” and they readily subdued all that opposed them, and slew ten thousand men in Bezek. Adoni-bezek, seeing his forces routed, fled, but the Israelites pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And this was a just retaliation for his own acknowledged cruelties; and he seems to have felt the justice of the treatment, for he said, “Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table. As I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.”

The tribe of Judah engaged in many successive expeditions against the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.

In the former part of this history, we saw that Moses earnestly entreated Jethro, his father-in-law, to cast in his lot among them, and go vdth them; for his past experience of his piety and wisdom led him to think that his presence would be very serviceable in all their journey through the wilderness. This invitation Jethro at first declined; but Moses entreated him with great earnestness not to leave them. It does not there appear, however, whether he prevailed with his father-in-law to accompany him or not. But here the writer of the book of

Judges decides this point, by saying, “And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees, with the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.” But although the children of Judah and Simeon were successful in their wars with the Canaanites, and extended their conquests into the country of the Philistines, which was included in the inheritance of Judah, and although they were able in general to expel the Canaanites from the mountains, “they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.” And although the children of Judah had succeeded in taking that section of Jerusalem which lay within their border, yet the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites continued for a long time to dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem. (Judg. i. 8 — 21.)

The children of Joseph also were not negligent in endeavouring to expel the Canaanites from their inheritance. They directed their efforts against the city of Bethel; but the former name was Luz. They sent spies to explore the condition of this city, and when they drew near, they saAV a man come out of the city; and they promised that they would show him mercy, if he would discover to them the entrance of the city; and when the city was taken, and the inhabitants slain with the sword, this man and all his family were preserved. “And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and named it Luz.”

But Manasseh was not so successful as the tribes just mentioned, in driving out the people who remained in the lot of their inheritance. In Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo, the Canaanites continued to dwell, and could not be expelled. But when Israel was strong they were made tributary. Besides, there were many places in all the remaining tribes, from which the Canaanites were not driven out; but the children of Dan were not only unable to dispossess the original inhabitants, but “the Amorites forced them into the mountain, and would not suffer them to come down to the valley. The fact was, that the Israelites did not faithfully address themselves to execute the commandment of Jehovah, in relation to the inhabitants of Canaan; but after a while began to live familiarly with them, and to engage in commerce, and enter into alliances with them. This disobedience, from whatever motive it might spring, was very displeasing to God; and as those leaders were dead through whom the Lord commonly had communicated his will to the children of Israel, he now sent them a solemn message and reproof by his angel; that is, the angel of the covenant, who had accompanied them through all their journeyings in the mklerness, and who appeared to Joshua, when he entered Canaan, as the captain of the Lord’s host. This angel now came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, “I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you; and ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land, and shall throw down their altars. But ye have not obeyed my voice. Why have ye done this? Wherefore, I also said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” And when the angel of Jehovah spake these words unto all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept. And hence, the place was called Bochim (weeping). And they sacrificed there unto the Lord. This was doubtless by the express direction of Jehovah, who had spoken unto them, otherwise it would not have been lawful to offer sacrifices anywhere but at Shiloh, where the tabernacle of the Lord was erected.

It has been already remarked, that that generation of Israel who conquered and first inhabited the land of Canaan, was, perhaps, the most righteous of that nation. This seems to be implied in what the sacred historian says of the generation that succeeded them. “And,” says he, “there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim,” who was the principal deity of the Canaanites. “And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, and served Baal and Ashtaroth: and the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers, that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil; as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.” But they were not utterly forsaken, for, from time to time, the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hands of those that spoiled them. “And when the Lord raised up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings, by reason of them that oppressed them, and vexed them.” But they would not hearken to their judges, but bowed themselves down to other gods, and turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord. “And when the judge was dead, they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and to bow clown unto them: they ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice, I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died; that through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.”

SECTION XVI.

OTHNIEL DELIVERS ISRAEL EHUD DELIVERS THEM FROM MOAB, AND SLAYS TEPf

THOUSAND MEN.

“And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves. Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war; and the Lord delivered Chusanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.”

“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.. And he gathered unto him Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm-trees. So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed; and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh, and he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, Jie sent away the people that bare the present. But lie himself turned again from the quarries that were in Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, 0 king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer-parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out again.” Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. When the servants came and saw that the doors of the parlour were locked, they supposed that he wished to be in privacy, and they waited a long time, until they were ashamed. At length they took a key and opened the door, and behold their lord was fallen down dead upon the earth. And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and fled to Seirath. And he blew a trumpet in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount; and he said, “Follow me, for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand; and they went down after him and took the fords of Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over; and they slew of Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel; and the land had rest fourscore years.”

SECTION XVII.

SHAMGAR — DEBORAH JUDGES ISRAEL — BARAK ASSOCIATED WITH HER — THE TRIBES

SUMMONED TO THE HELP OF THE LORD AGAINST JABIN SISERA DEFEATED HIS

DEATH BY THE HAND OF JAEL — SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARAK.

The next deliverer raised up to Israel after Ehud, was Shamgar, the son of Anath; but of him, only one particular action is left on record, but this is a very remarkable one, and shows that in bodily strength he must have been indeed a mighty man. The event to which reference has been made, is, that with an ox-goad, he slew of the Philistines six hundred men: and it seems, that by this heroic act he delivered Israel from subjection to these troublesome neighbours. As no period of time is mentioned, during which Shamgar ruled over the people, it is probable, that he is only mentioned as a deliverer on account of this one extraordinary exploit.

“And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead; and the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, that reigned in Plazor, the captain of whose host was Sisera, -who dwelt in Haroshetli of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.”

At that time the Lord raised up a woman to be a prophetess, and to exercise judgment over his people Israel. Her name was Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth; and her usual residence was under a palm-tree, between Beth-el and Ramah, in mount Ephraim; to which place the Israelites resorted for judgment.

Under the impulse of Divine inspiration, Deborah sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam, out of Naphtali, and said unto him, “Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and the children of Zebulun; and I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour, for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh; and Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And he went up with ten thousand men at his feet, and Deborah went up with him. Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. And they showed Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, was gone up to mount Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak, Up, for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thy hand; is not the Lord gone up before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots and all his host, with the edge of the sword, before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down ofi” his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, and there was not a man left. Howbeit, Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him. Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty; and she opened a bottle of milk and gave him drink, and covered him. Again he said. Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say. Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, ISTo. Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a nail of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground, (for he was fast asleep and weary,) so he died. And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him. Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples: so God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.”

Upon occasion of this victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song of triumph and of praise. It abounds with striking thoughts and bold figures, and may be taken as a specimen of the earliest poetry. The only song or poem, of earlier date, which has come down to us, is the song composed by Moses, and sung by Miriam, with her female companions, after crossing the Red sea. The reader will be gratified by some extracts from an ancient poetical composition.

“Praise ye the Lord, for the avenging of Israel,
When the people willingly offered themselves.
Hear, 0 ye kings, give ear, 0 ye princes:
I, even I, will sing unto the Lord,
I will sing praise to the God of Israel.
Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir,
When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, and the heavens dropped;
The clouds also dropped water.
The mountains melted from before the Lord;
That Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.
In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath;
In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied,
And the travellers walked through by-ways.
The inhabitants of the villages ceased.
They ceased in Israel, until that I, Deborah, arose — That I arose, a mother in Israel.
They chose new gods — then was war in the gates;
Was there a shield or a spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
My heart is toward the governors of Israel,
That offered themselves willingly among the people.

Bless ye the Lord. Speak, ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. — From the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water; There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord; Even the righteous acts towards the villages in Israel; Then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.

Awake, awcake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song:
Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive.
Thou son of Abinoam.
Then he made him that remaineth have dominion
Over the nobles, among the people.
The Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
Out of Ephraim was a root of them against Amalek.
After thee, Benjamin, among thy people.
Out of Machir came down governors,

And out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah,
Even Issachar; and also Barak.
He was sent on foot into the valley.

For the divisions of Reuben, were great thoughts of heart. AVhy abodest thou among the sheep-folds, To hear the bleatings of the flocks?

For the divisions of Reuben were great searchings of heart. Gilead abode beyond Jordan: And why did Dan remain in ships?

Asher continued on the sea-shore, and abode in his breaches. Zebulun and Naphtali were a people

That jeoparded their lives unto the death, in the high-places of the field.
The kings came and fought; — Then fought the kings of Canaan,
In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo.
They took no gain of money.
They fought from heaven — The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
The river of Kishon swept them away — That ancient river — the river of Kishon.
0, my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
Then were the horse-hoofs broken

By the means of their prancings — the prancings of their mighty ones.
Curse ye Meroz — said the angel of the Lord — Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof:
Because they came not to the help of the Lord — To the help of the Lord against the mighty.

Blessed among women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be:
Blessed shall she be above women, in the tent.
He asked water, and she gave him milk;
She brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
She put her hand to the nail,
And her right hand to the workman’s hammer;
And with the hammer she smote Sisera:
She smote off his head, when she had pierced,
And stricken through his temples.
At her feet he bowed — he fell — he lay down — At her feet he bowed — he fell — Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

The mother of Sisera looked out at a window,

And cried through the lattice.

Why is his chariot so long in coming?

Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

Her wise ladies answered her —

Yea, she returned answer to herself:

Have they not sped — have they not divided the prey?

To every man a damsel or two —

To Sisera a prey of divers colours of needle-work —

Of divers colours of needle-Tvork on both sides,
Meet for the necks of them that take the spoil.

So let thine enemies perish, 0 Lord:

But let them that love him be as the sun

When he goeth forth in his might.”

In this song, those tribes who willingly came forward to fight the battles of the Lord, are celebrated with due praise; but severe censures are passed on those who remained at home at this time, when the services of all were needed. Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun, and Naphtali, are recorded as having done their duty. While Reuben, on account of his divisions and- internal distractions, was not in a situation to render any aid. And Dan and Asher, though near to the field of battle, clung to their ships and sea-coast, and furnished no help in the contest. But why do we hear nothing of Judah, commonly the foremost in all pious enterprises; and on whose borders the battle was fought? I know not the answer to this question. One place, no where else mentioned in Scripture, is here made memorable, by the curse denounced against it by the angel of the Lord, for not coming up to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Why Meroz was singled out for this anathema, when so many others were delinquent, cannot now be ascertained. But this city stands as a beacon to all future generations.

SECTION XVIII.

MIDIAN OPPRESSES ISRAEL A NAMELESS PROPHET IS SENT WITH A MESSAGE FROM

GOD TO ISRAEL THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARS TO GIDEON, WHO SACRI-FICES A KID TO JEHOVAH, AND THE ANGEL, AFTER DELIVERING HIS MESSAGE,

ASCENDS IN THE FLAME GIDEON THROWS DOWN THE ALTAR OF BAAL BY DIVINE

DIRECTION JOASH, GIDEON’S FATHER, REFUSES TO GIVE HIM VP A GREAT HOST

GATHERED AGAINST ISRAEL — GIDEON COLLECTS THE PEOPLE — ASKS FOR A TWO-FOLD SIGN, WHICH IS GRANTED.

The national distresses of Israel, in every instance, were owing to their transgressions. The language of the sacred history is, “The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord,” and then the Lord “sold them,” or “delivered them into the hands of their enemies.” The nation which next obtained the dominion over them, was Midian; and their rule was exceedingly oppressive; so that the children of Israel were driven to take refuge in the dens of the mountains, and in the caves and strongholds. And the labours of agriculture were rendered almost useless, for when “Israel had sown, the Midianites and Amalekites, and the children of the east, came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou came unto Gaza; and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle, and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers, for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impovei’Ished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.” It is a remarkable evidence of the goodness, long-suffering, and gracious condescension of the Lord, that in all cases when the people cried unto him, he mercifully interposed for their deliverance. On this occasion, he sent a prophet, who said, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage. And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you; and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, that I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not obeyed my voice.” Whence this prophet came, or whither he went after he had delivered his message, we are not informed; neither are we able to tell his name, or designate the family or tribe to which he belonged. This mission of a prophet was evidently intended to bring the people to repentance for their sins in departing from the worship of Jehovah, and going after the gods of the Amorites.

But a more august ambassador was now sent. “The angel of the Lord came and sat under an oak, which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash, the Abi-ezrite; and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the wine-press, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him. The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, 0 my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then Is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying. Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, 0 my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto him. If now I have found grace In thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. And Gideon went in and made ready a kid, and leavened cakes of an ephah of flour; the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it. And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon the rock, and pour out the broth; and he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, 0 Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. And the Lord said unto him. Peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom.” And this altar remained for many years in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites. The Lord now gave direction that he should, on that very night, throw down the altar of Baal, which was erected on a rock in that place, and should build there an altar to the Lord, and offer upon it the second bullock of seven years old; and he was directed also to cut down the idolatrous grove, which had been planted by the altar of Baal, and to use the wood for the burnt-sacrifice which he was about to offer. “Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him; and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was off’ered on the altar that was built. And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, hath done this thing. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. And Joash said to all that stood against him. Will ye plead for Baal? AVill ye save him? He that will plead for him, let him be put to death, whilst it is yet morning. If he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal.”

“Then all the Midianites, and Amalekites, and the children of the east, were gathered together; and they went over and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abi-ezer was gathered after him. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also was gathered after him. And he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. And Gideon said unto God,

If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,” let the sign which I request be granted. “Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor, and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early in the morning, and thrust the fleece together, and winged the dew out of the fleece; a bowl-full of water. And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night; for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.”

SECTION XIX.

GIDEON COLLECTS HIS FORCES — A MERE HANDFUL IN COMPARISON OF MIDIAN, YET

THE LORD TELLS HIM THERE ARE TOO BIANY ALL ARE DISMISSED EXCEPT THREE

HUNDRED GIDEON GOES TO THE MIDIANITISH HOST, AND HEARS A DREAM

WHICH ENCOURAGES HIM THE ENEMY ARE THROWN INTO CONFUSION, AND SLAY

ONE ANOTHER — TWO PRINCES OF THE MIDIANITES ARE TAKEN, OBEB AND ZEEB — THEIR HEADS CUT OFF.

When Gideon had collected his forces, he pitched by the well of Harod; and the Midianites were on the north side of them, in the valley, by the hill Moreh. Although the men of Israel who were with Gideon, were few in comparison of the host of Midian, yet in the Lord’s account they were too many; for he said unto Gideon, “The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying. Mine own hand hath saved me. Now, therefore, go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return, and depart early from mount Gilead; and there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many, bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there.” The method of trial, which, by Divine direction, decided who were to go and who return, was singular. Gideon was commanded to place by themselves as many of the men as took up the water in their hands, and lapped it as a dog; but all those who bowed down on their knees to drink were directed to return home. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped, will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets, and went forth to meet the Midianites, who lay encamped in the valley

226 HISTORY or the isjraelitish nation.

beneath. “And the Lord said unto Gideon, Arise, get thee down unto the host, for I have delivered it into thy hand. But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant, down to the host, and thou shalt hear what they say, and afterwards shall thy hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant, unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. And the Midianites and the Amalekites, and all the children of the east, lay along the valley, like grasshoppers for multitude, and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea-side for multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent and smote it, that it fell, .and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. And when Gideon heard the dream, and the interpretation thereof, he worshipped, and returned to the host of Israel, and said. Arise, for the Lord hath delivered Midian into your hand. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, with lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them. When I come unto the outside of the camp, as I do, so shall ye do. When I, and all that are with me, blow with the trumpet, then blow ye the trumpets also, on every side of all the camp, and say. The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the outside of the camp, in the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch; and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake their pitchers; and held the lamps in their hands, and the trumpets in their right hands, to blow withal; and they cried, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. And they stood, every man in his place, round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets; and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host; and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together, out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers through all mount Ephraim, saying. Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the -wine-press of Zeeb, and pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon.”

SECTION XX.

THE MEN OF EPHRArjI COMPLAIN OF GIDEON — THE CONDUCT OF THE MEN OF SUCCOTH

AND PENUEL ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA, KINGS OF MIDIAN, TAKEN AND SLAIN THE

PEOPLE WISH TO MAKE GIDEON THEIR PERMANENT AND HEREDITARY RULER HE

REFUSES — HIS IDOLATRY — MIDIAN SUBDUED — THE PEOPLE ENJOY A LONG REPOSE.

*’And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them. What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated towards him, when he had said that. And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. And the princes of Succoth said. Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hands, that we should give bread unto thine army? And Gideon said, Therefore, when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then will I tear your flesh with’ the thorns of the wilderness, and with briers. And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. And he spake unto the men of Penuel, saying. When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men; all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east; for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the east side of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host, for the host was secure. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, and discomfited the host, and returned from the battle before the sun was up, and caught a young man of Succoth, and inquired of him, and he described the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof; even threescore and seventeen men. And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said. Behold Zebah and Zalmunna with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, are the hands of Zebah and Zal-

228’ HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATIOIST.

munna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city. And he said unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they: each one resembled the children of a king. And he said. They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. And he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them: but the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.”

So great a deliverance having been wrought by the hands of Gideon, the people were very desirous that he should become their permanent governor. “Rule thou over us,” said they, “both thou and thy son, and thy son’s son also; for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you.” This conduct of Gideon was both pious and disinterested. Men, in common, are disposed to grasp at power, whenever the prize is within their reach, and make little inquiry whether they can rightly exercise it or not. But Gideon understood that God himself had undertaken to be the king over Israel, and therefore he was right in declining the authority with which they wished to invest him. He was, however, contaminated with the idolatry in the midst of which he had so long lived; and now he requested of his men, that every one should give him the ear-rings of his prey; for many of the people whom they conquered, being Ishmaelites, wore golden ear-rings. These were they who by the sacred historian are called “the children of the east;” for the Ishmaelites or Arabians dwelt on the east of Palestine. It seems, however, that from a very early period, the Midianites and Ishmaelites were mingled together, as the travelling merchants to whom Joseph was sold by his brethren are called both Midianites and Ishmaelites; or the Ishmaelites may have been called Midianites.

Gideon’s army made not the least objection to this proposal of their leader, but said, “We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein, every man, the earrings of his prey; and the weight of the ear-rings was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and the chains that were on their camels’ necks.” Now the request of Gideon did not proceed from avarice, but from a love of idols; for having received this large present of gold, he proceeded to make an ephod, and placed it in Ophrah, the city where he dwelt. And this became a snare not only to himself, but to all Israel; for they were led away to worship this golden ephod.

Midian being completely subdued, the people of Israel enjoyed a long repose; and Gideon continued long among them, even forty years; but he married many wives, and had a numerous offspring; for the sacred historian informs us, that he had no less than seventy sons by his wives; and one, afterwards more distinguished than all the rest, by his concubine, who dwelt in Shechem. The name of this last was Abimelech. Gideon, who was also called Jerubbaal, “died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.”

Perhaps Gideon’s object in making the golden ephod, which became a snare to Israel, was to draw the people off from the worship of Baalim; for as soon as he was dead, we read “that they made Baal-berith their god. And they remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side. Neither showed they kindness to the house of Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.”

SECTION XXI.

AMBITION OF ABIMELECH THE SON OF GIDEON — HIS CRUELTY — THE PARABLE OF

JOTHAM TRANSACTIONS AT SHECHEM — CONTEST OF GAAL AND ZEBUL ABIMELECH

SUDDENLY COMES AND SMITES GAAL AND HIS PARTY — ABIMELECH KILLED BY A WOMAN.

Although Gideon was free from ambition, and refused to be king over his people when they requested it, and promised to make the office hereditary in his family, yet a very different spirit actuated Abimelech, his son by his concubine; for no sooner was his father out of the way, than he began to intrigue with the inhabitants of Shechem, where his mother’s friends appear to have had influence, to make him king over them. And as the seventy legitimate sons of Gideon stood in the way of his ambition, he did not cease from his machinations until he accomplished the destruction of all of them except one, who escaped the general massacre of his brothers at Ophrah, by concealing himself. The name of this only survivor of the seventy sons of Jerubbaal was Jotham. The people of Shecheu and Millo now proceeded to make Abimelech king, which iransaction took place “by the plain of the pillar that “was in Shechem.” When Jotham heard of this ungrateful proceedinrttowards his father’s house, “he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them. Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.” Then he delivered the following apologue or parable, the first composition of this kind of which we have any account, and which contained a cutting sarcasm on the inhabitants of Shechem, for making such a worthless man as Abimelech their king. “The trees,” said he, “went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us; but the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, whereby they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou and reign over us; but the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou and reign over us; and the vine said unto them. Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the bramble. Come thou and reign over us; and the bramble said unto the trees. If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.” Jotham having uttered this beautiful but cutting fable in the hearing of the Shechemites, with great severity reproached them for their ungrateful and cruel conduct towards his father’s house; putting it to their own consciences to answer whether they had acted “truly and sincerely in making Abimelech king;” and whether they had “dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, according to the deserving of his hands.” “For,” said he, “my father fought for you, and adventured his life far; and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother. If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you; but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.” “And Jotham,” having delivered this speech on mount Gerizim, “ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech, his brother.”

Men of cruelty and blood are, in the course of a righteous providence, commonly overtaken sooner or later with condign punishment: “Their sin will find them out.” And frequently the very people whom they have made the instruments of their cruelty become the executors of God’s vengeance upon them. This was the fact in regard to the Shechemites, whom Abimelech had employed as his agents in putting to a violent death the seventy sons of his father; for these same people began now to conspire against Abimelech their king; or, as it is strongly expressed in the sacred history, “God sent an evil spirit’between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech; that the cruelty done unto the three-score and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them; and upon the men of Shechem who aided him in the killing of his brethren.”

Abimelech did not make Shechem his usual place of residence, but Arumah, which was at some distance; and Zebul acted as his deputy at Shechem, where he had been left the governor. But there came into the city a certain man by the name of Gaal, with a number of others, his associates; this man appears to have been of insinuating manners and popular address; for he soon gained the confidence of the Shechemites, which Zebul the deputy of Abimelech could not prevent. At the season of the vintage, which was always a time of joy and festivity, and also of religious services in honour of their gods, this man went out with the people to the vineyards. When the people of Shechem had gathered their grapes, and trode them in the wine-press, and when they were thus feasting in the house of their god, and their hearts were merry; while they did eat and drink, they were induced, no doubt by the influence of Gaal and his associates, to curse Abimelech the king, whom they had placed over them. “And Gaal himself said, who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and is not Zebul his deputy?” “Would to God the people were under my hand, I would soon remove Abimelech.” This seditious discourse of Gaal and the people greatly provoked Zebul the governor; and he sent messengers privily unto Abimelech, and informed the king of the treasonable speeches which had been made; and, moreover, that they were about fortifying the city against him. He advised Abimelech to rise up by night with his people, and to lie in wait in the fields or forests near the city; that as soon as the sun was up, and the gates should be opened, he might attack the city; and when Gaal and the people came forth to repel the assault, and to pursue the assailants, as being ignorant of their number, Abimelech might fall upon them and obtain an easy victory. This course was pursued by Abimelech, and he arose in the night; and dividing his men into four companies, lie laid wait round about Shechem. In the morning Gaal went out and stood in the gate, not being aware of the ambush which was round about the town; and when he saw the men of Abimelech approaching, who had risen up from their ambush, he said to Zebul, the governor of the city, “Behold there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains, as if they were men. And Gaal spoke again, and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land; and another company comes along by the plain. Zebul well knew who they were that were approaching; and feeling confident that Abimelech would be able to overcome the conspirators, and seize the city, he said, “Where is now the mouth which said. Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom thou hast despised? Go out, now, I pray thee, and fight with them.” Gaal, finding that he must either fight or submit, went out with the men of Shechem who had conspired with him, and fought with Abimelech; but he was unable to withstand him, and fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering in of the gate. On the next day, Gaal and the people of Shechem went forth from the city; for Zebul the governor forced them to depart; his party having, by this time, become the strongest. As soon as Abimelech had notice of this movement, he divided his forces into three companies, and laid wait; so that as soon as they came into the field he arose upon them and smote them. And Abimelech and his company rushed forward and stood in the entering of the gate of the city, to cut off the. retreat of the conspirators; and then the other companies fell upon those that were in the field, and slew them; and having defeated those that had come out, he now

assaulted the city and took it, the same day, and slew the inhabitants who had rebelled against him; and beat down the walls and sowed the place with salt. Part of the people of Shechem, however, had retreated to a hold connected with the temple of the god Berith. When Abimelech was informed that many had taken refuge in this tower, he took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder, and commanded his men to do likewise, and they set fire to the hold and burnt it, with about a thousand persons who had fled thither for refuge. Thus the city of Shechem was brought to desolation, and its inhabitants were utterly destroyed; a just punishment for their cruel and ungrateful conduct towards the house of Gideon.

And Abimelech himself did not long escape the vengeance of a righteous Providence; for having obtained such a signal victory over the Shechemites, he went on to besiege another city, the name of wliicli was Tliebez; and he took it; but there was here also a strong tower, into which the inhabitants fled, and into which they carried their most valuable property. While he was pressing on the siege of this tower, and had come near to it to set it on fire, as he had done at Shechem, “a certain woman cast a piece of a mill-stone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to break his skull. 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.” Here we see that the ruling passion of this ambitious man was strong in death. “Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father’s house, in slaying his seventy brethren. And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads; and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.”

SECTION XXII.

TOLA JUDGES ISRAEL FOR TWENTY YEARS — IS SUCCEEDED BY JAIR — THE ISRAEL-ITES DECLINE TO IDOLATRY FALL UNDER THE DOMINION OF AMMON A RE-FORMATION COMMENCED — JEPTHAH CALLED TO LEAD THE ARMY.

After the death of Abimelech, the chief power, for twenty-three years, was in the hands of Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, of the tribe of Issachar. His usual place of residence was at Shamir, on mount Ephraim. In this place also was he buried; but of his character, or achievements, no record has been left.

Tola was succeeded by Jair, a Gileadite, who continued in office two and twenty years. The only remarkable thing which is recorded of him, is, that he had thirty sons, who rode on thirty ass-colts, and possessed thirty cities, which for a long time were called Havoth-jair. These cities were situated in the land of Gilead. We are not informed in what city Jair had his residence, but the place of his burial was Camon.

“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.” The oppression which took place bore heaviest on the tribes who inhabited the east side of Jordan, in the land of Gilead; but after a while the Ammonites passed over Jordan, and invaded the territory of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim,

SO that the whole of Israel was sorely distressed. In this extremity, “the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and have served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites; from the children of Aramon, and from the Philistines. The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you, and I delivered you out of their hand: yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods; wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.”

As the children of Israel had now, by penitence and public confession, commenced a reformation, and of course would be disposed to cast oif the oppressive yoke of their enemies, the Ammonites, their oppressors, collected an army, and encamped in Gilead, intending to inflict a heavy punishment upon the tribes of Israel. But the children of Israel were not disposed any longer to submit, and therefore they also assembled their forces, and encamped in Mizpeh. “And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another. What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” There lived, at this time, “a mighty man of valour,” by the name of Jeplithah. He was an illegitimate son of Gilead; but as he had sons by his lawful wives, these, as soon “as they were grown up, thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, thou shalt not inherit our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob, where he gained influence, and probably lived by predatory incursions into the neighbouring countries; for we read, “that there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.” Tob was probably in Arabia, which was adjacent to the country of Gilead; and we know that the inhabitants of that country, from the days of their forefather Ishmael, have ben “wild men,” and have subsisted by carrying on a predatory warfare against the surrounding nations. Their hands were against every man, and every man’s hand was against them.

The ciders of Gilead being well acqvuiinted with the valour and military talents of Jephthah, sent a deputation of their number to fetch him from Tob, to aid them, or rather preside over them, as their captain, in the existing war against the Ammonites; for their message to him was, “Come, and be our captain, that we may figlit’with the children of Ammon.” “And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? And why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?” The elders of Gilead assured Jephthah that they were now sincerely desirous of having him for their chief and head, over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And they confirmed their declaration by a solemn oath, saying, “The Lord be witness between us, if Ave do not so according to thy words.” Upon which, Jephthah consented to go with them, and to take upon himself the charge of the war against the Ammonites. “And the people made him head and captain over them:” and Jephthah entered into a solemn engagement with them, before the Lord, in Mizpeh.

SECTION XXIII.

JEPHTHAH ATTEMPTS TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE BY NEGOTIATION CLAI3IS OF THE

KING OF AMMON JEPHTHAH’S JUST VIEW OF THE WHOLE SUBJECT IN HIS ABLE

ANSWER.

Jephthah being now invested with the chief command of the forces of Israel, determined, as became a wise and patriotic man, to make an effort to obtain a redress of grievances by negotiation. He, therefore, sent ambassadors to the king of the Ammonites, instructed to address to him a solemn memorial and remonstrance, in which he clearly exhibited the justice of the cause of Israel. These ambassadors were directed, first, to say, “What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?” To which message, the king of Ammon answered, “Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, even from Arnon unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan; now, therefore, restore those lands again peaceably.” To which Jephthah, by his messengers, replied, “Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon. But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh, 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 Moab, and he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. Then they went through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom; and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab, for Arnon was the border of Moab. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon. And Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land, unto our place. But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast; but Silion gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel; and the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon, and all his people, into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok; and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. So now the God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. And now, art thou any thing better than Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, while Israel dwelt in Ileshbon 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? Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me. The Lord, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.” From this sensible and just remonstrance of Jephthah, it appears, that he possessed an accurate knowledge of the past history of the Israelites. The narrative of events which he gives, agrees exactly with the history contained in the books of Moses. There is here also an important note of the period of time which had elapsed since the children of Israel arrived at Jordan, on their march from Egypt. Perhaps, however, a round number is used by Jephthah, as coming near to the time; for precision as to the exact number of years was not essential to his argument. He mentions three hundred years, as the period during which the children of Israel had had possession of the country now in dispute. This period would be of great importance in fixing the chronology of the Bible, if we could depend upon it as being entirely exact, for it is extremely difficult to ascertain the

time which had elapsed from the length of the government of the successive judges, since there might have been intervals when no judge exercised authority over the people; and we do not know exactly how long it was from the entering Canaan to the commencement of the authority of the first judge, after tho death of Joshua.

SECTION XXIV.

JEPHTHAH’S VOW — HIS DAUGHTER COMES OUT TO MEET HER FATHER — HIS DISTRESS

HER PIETY AND SUBMISSION AN INQUIRY WHETHER JEPHTHAH ACTUALLY PUT

HIS DAUGHTER TO DEATH — LAMENTATION FOR HER BY THE DAUGHTERS OF ISRAEL.

Negotiation having proved ineffectual to bring the Ammonites to reasonable terms, Jephthah prepared for war. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and he passed over unto the children of Ammon. And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said. If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, then it shall be that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.” In the marginal reading, we have or instead of and, in this last sentence; and this, many learned commentators consider the true interpretation; for although the Hebrew particle is used for and, in a vast majority of instances, yet there are many cases in which it must be rendered or, to make a sense consistent with the context. And in this passage there exist strong reasons for such an interpretation. Jephthah seems to have been a man of sense, and to have had a regard for justice and right. He was, moreover, according to the testimony of Paul, a man distinguished for his faith, as his name is inserted in the catalogue of eminent believers, which this apostle has given us in the eleventh chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews: and in this very passage, he is represented as acting under the impulse of the Holy Spirit. Now it is not reasonable to suppose that such a man would make a vow to offer as a burnt-offering a human being, much less his own daughter, if one of these should first come out of the house to meet him? Or, suppose a dog, or a swine, to have been the animal to meet him, would he, as an Israelite, have dared to offer such a sacrifice on the altar of God? Or would the high-priest have permitted such a profanation. The vow to offer as a burnt-offering a human being, or an unclean animal, would have been an impious vow, which God never could have accepted and answered: but the vow of Jephthah was effectual. He obtained of the Lord the very favour which he petitioned for in making this vow. From all these considerations, I am disposed to favour the marginal reading, and this opinion is confirmed by the manner in which the execution of the vow is related; of which an account will immediately be given. The sense of the vow, then, according to this explanation, is, that if he should be sue-’ cessful in overcoming Ammon, Jephthah promises, that whatever person or animal should come out of his house to meet him, should be devoted unto God; or if an animal suitable for sacrifice, should be offered up as a burnt-offering,” So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. And he smote them from Aroer even until thou came to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

“And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child. Beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast 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. And she said unto him, My 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 on thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father. Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity: I and my fellows. And he said. Go. And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And it came to pass, at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to the vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year.”

The lamentation made in this case by Jephthah, was not greater than was natural, upon the supposition that his daughter was to spend her life in celibacy, in some retired place: for this cut ofi” all hope of offspring, the desire of which is instinctive, and among the Israelites was peculiarly strong; so that to be without any one to be their heir and successor, was deemed in that nation a grievous curse. But if Jephthah had now felt himself bound by his vow to offer up his daughter as a burnt-oJBTering, his signs of sorrow would have been much more violent. We may well suppose that he would, instead of being contented with a single pathetic lamentation, have rent his clothes, and laid himself down upon the ground, covered with sackcloth and ashes, for at least seven days. It is also reasonable to conjecture, that his eyes would now have been opened to perceive the rashness and impiety of such a vow J and that he would now deeply lament his sin in making it. And if the army of Israel interposed by force to prevent king Saul frorfi putting Jonathan to death, when he had brought himself under the obligation of a vow to that effect, we may well suppose that Jephthah would not have been permitted to sacrifice his only child, if he had felt himself bound to perform the act. The truth, however, is, that all such vows, as being contrary to the law of God, cannot create a moral obligation; for then man, by his own wicked act, might nullify the law of God.

Again, the way in which Jephthah’s daughter received the information of her father’s vow, shows that it could not be that she understood that she was to be offered up as a burnt-offering. Certainly, the offering of human victims, except to Moloch, was a thing unknown in Israel; and the idea of being thus sacrificed, must, at the first hearing of the intention, have been shocking and overwhelming to the feelings of a young female; and however ardent her filial piety, she could not so calmly and cheerfully have requested her father to fulfil his vow; especially, her piety if at all enlightened, would have revolted against being made a sacrifice in direct violation of the law of God. The request to spend two months with her companions, “to lament her virginity,” seems to prove that the vow of Jephthah related not to the death of his daughter, but to a life of celibacy in some recluse place. That there did exist some custom of this kind in Israel, is probable, from many sources of evidence. The same conclusion is deducible from the statement, that she never had intercourse with any man; which on any other supposition would be a strange and irrelevant remark.

The record, “that Jephthah did with her according to his vow” is scarcely reconcilable with the idea that he killed his child. The sacred historian would have entered more into the circumstances of an action so extraordinary, as we find done in the case of Abraham, when commanded to offer up Isaac for a burnt-offering. And we might have expected some remark to justify or condemn the act, lest it should be inferred from the bare mention of the fact, that such vows, and such actions in fulfilment of them, were lawful to other persons.

The last sentence in the history of this transaction is difficult of interpretation. “That it became a custom for the daughters of Israel to lament the daughter of Jepthah the Gileadite, four days in the year.” This does, indeed, as here translated, seem to indicate that she had been sacrificed, at least, was dead. But this version is not literally exact, and was evidently made to suit the hypothesis which we reject. The literal translation here is, as in many other places, set down in the margin: “The daughters of Israel went yearly to talk with the daughter of Jephtliab, four days in the year.” Now, -while this is utterly repugnant to the common interpretation, it not only accords with that which we defend, but furnishes a convincing evidence of its truth. For if the daughters of Israel could talk with her, she certainly was still in the land of the living. And if she was shut up in some recluse place, this visit would be a very natural and proper thing. One other remark on this passage is, that we never find that it was a custom in Israel to have an anniversary mourning for the dead.

From all these considerations, the opinion that Jephthah did not offer up his daughter as a burnt-offering, seems to be highly probable, if not absolutely certain.

SECTION XXV.

INGRATITUDi: OF THE PEOPLE TOWARDS JEPHTHAH — HIS VINDICATION OF HIMSELF

AND BRETHREN THE BIEN OF EPHKAIM SMITTEN AT THE FORDS OF JORDAN

DETECTED BY THEIR PRONUNCIATION OF A WORD JEPHTHAH DIES, AFTER A GOV-ERNMENT OF ONLY SIX YEARS.

Ingratitude to benefactors and deliverers, and discontent with the most favourable circumstances, are the characteristics of the multitude in every country. The men of Ephraim were not satisfied to enjoy the fruits of Jephthah’s great victory. When the country of Gilead, the possession of the Reubenites, was subdued and oppressed by the Ammonites, earnest application had been made to the tribes on the west of Jordan, to aid in expelling these oppressors; but they, being themselves in no immediate danger, neglected to send any assistance to their suffering brethren, on the other side of the river. But now, when a great victory had been obtained by the courage and generalship of Jephthah, the Ephraimites made it the ground of a fierce accusation against him, that they had not been invited to take part in the war. “Wherefore,” said they, “passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand; wherefore, then, are ye come up unto me, this day, to fight against me?” But these unreasonable men would not be satisfied with any explanation. Jephthah was under the necessity of contending with them in battle, or of giving himself and his property into their hands. To threats, the men of Ephraim also added bitter reproaches, saying, “Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim.” But their insolence met -with a signal chastisement; for in the battle which ensued, they were beaten, and fled: but the Gileadites seized the fords of Jordan, and intercepted and slew the fugitives. It was difficult, however, for the men who guarded the fords to distinguish, in all cases, between friends and foes; therefore, when any one asked permission to go over, “they said unto him. Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said Nay, then said they unto him. Say now shibboleth; and he said sibholeth, for he could not frame to pronounce it aright.” Then they took him and slew him, at the passages of Jordan; and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. This was a severe stroke on this proud tribe; but they had nobody to blame but themselves: they engaged in this war without the shadow of a reason, and God in just displeasure gave the victory to Jephthah, who trusted in him. From this narrative it appears, that by this time some difference had arisen in the pronunciation of the Hebrew language; at any rate, a difference in the sound of one letter; and, as is often the case, the men of Ephraim were unable to frame their organs so as to give the true sound to the word selected as a test. Hence, probably, the origin of the double sound which that letter has to this day.

The government of Jephthah lasted no more than six years. He seems to have died a natural death, as we read that he “was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.”

SECTION XXVI.

IBZAN OF BETH-LEHEM — NATURE OF THE THEOCRACY — ELON OF ZEBULON NEXT JUDGES ISRAEL — ABDON OF EPHRAIM — GREAT INCREASE OF POPULATION AND THE NUMBER IN THEIR ARMIES.

The next judge or ruler in Israel, was Ibzan of Beth-lehem. This man seems to have lived in peaceable times, as there is no account of any enemy infesting Israel in his days: the successful war against the Ammonites, under Jephthah, seems to have, for a while, intimidated the foes of Israel. The only thing which the sacred historian has thought proper to relate of this Beth-lehemite is, the remarkable fact, that he was the father of thirty sons and thirty daughters; and by means of these he formed an extensive connexion, and thus enlarged his influence; for he sent abroad his daughters, giving them in marriage to the men of the land; and sent and took wives to his sons from abroad. The period of Ibzan’s government was also short; he judged Israel only seven years, and died, and was buried at Beth-lehem.

The rulers of Israel, during the period of which we are now treating, were not taken from any particular family or tribe, but were brought forward by the providence of God, or by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The government of Israel, so far as the enacting of laws was concerned, was a theocracy: no rulers, prophets, judges, or priests, had any authority to alter these laws. The elders of the people, seventy in number, and the officers of different degrees of authority, who were established by jSIoses, were regularly continued, and in all that related to the ritual law and the worship of the tabernacle, the high priest and other priests had the right to regulate every thing agreeably to the commandments of the Lord by Moses. But when the country was invaded by a foreign foe, or fell under the power of some oppressive tyrant, there was need of an extraordinary ruler, with something of the power of a dictator, who might concentrate the forces of the tribes, and lead them out to battle. Or, when disputes arose between the tribes themselves, there was required a judge, whose authority would be respected on account of his tried wisdom and public services; or more especially, because he gave evidence that he was acting under the direction, and as the vicegerent of God.

The next judge raised up by the providence of God, was Elon, a Zebulonite. I do not remember that mention is made of any prophet or other distinguished man beside, arising out of this tribe. To this fact reference seems to have been had, when it was said, “Search and see, whether any prophet ariseth out of Galilee.” Elon judged Israel ten years, and died, and was buried in Ajalon, in the country of Zebulon: and this is the only circumstance left on record concerning him.

The next judge or ruler was of the tribe of Ephraim. His native place, which was also the place of his burial, was Pirathon. His name was Abdon, and that circumstance by which he was chiefly distinguished, was, that he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode upon seventy ass-colts. The duration of his reign was eight years. His father’s name was Hillel, and his native town was in the mount of the Amalekites.

From the number of children which are frequently mentioned in the sacred history as belonging to one family, we are led to believe that the increase of population among the Israelites was extraordinary. A former judge had thirty sons, and as many daughters; and Abdon had no less than forty sons. It is by no means necessary to suppose, nor, indeed, is it at all probable, that all these were born of one mother. The custom or polygamy, to a greater or less extent, prevailed through all the period of which we are now treating. Though never expressly sanctioned by divine authority, like divorce, it was permitted to exist. From these instances of a numerous progeny, we may account for the greatness of the population, the accounts of which have appeared to some altogether extravagant, and incommensurate with the narrow limits of the country; and it must be remembered, that, in those days, every man was a soldier, and was expected to turn out when an enemy invaded the country.

SECTION XXVII.

AN ANGEL APPEARS TO THE WIFE OF MANOAH — AND AGAIN TO HER AND HER

HUSBAND SAMSON IS BORN A NAZARITE FROM THE WOMB ISRAEL UNDER THE

YOKE OF THE PHILISTINES SABISON SEEKS A WIFE OF THIS RACE AT TIJINATH

SLAYS A LION ON HIS WAY TO VISIT HER — HIS MARRIAGE HIS RIDDLE ITS

MEANING DISCOVERED BY HIS WIFE HIS METHOD OF PAYING THE FORFEIT — HIS

WIFE GIVEN TO ANOTHER.

The children of Israel furnish a striking proof of the proneness of human nature to depart from God. They were probably no worse than any other nation would have been in the same circumstances; and yet they were for ever disposed to revolt against the Divine government, although, in the providence of God, they uniformly suffered for their disobedience. The surrounding nations, through whose influence they were led astray, were also the instruments made use of by a just sovereign, to chastise them for their sins. For forty years they were under the grinding oppression of the Philistines. At the close of this long period of affliction the angel of the Lord appeared unto the wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, who had never borne a child, and said unto her, “Thou shalt conceive and bear a son. Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing. For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son: and no razor 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. 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 him not whence he was, neither told he me his name.”” Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, 0 my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And God hearkened unto the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again unto the woman, as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said unto him, behold the man hath appeared unto me that came unto me the other day. 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, I am. And Manoah said, Now let thy -R-orcls come to pass: how shall we order the child? and how shall we do unto him? And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman, let her beware. She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord: for Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And the angel of the Lord said unto him. Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? So Manoah took a kid with a meat-offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord. And the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Blanoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. But his wife said unto him. If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands; neither would he have showed us all these things; nor would, as at this time, have told us such things as these.

“And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.” When he became a man, he was, at certain seasons, under a divine impulse from the Spirit of the Lord, in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson was a man of supernatural strength of body, which endowment was connected with his condition as a Nazarite; but he seems to have been also a man of strong passions, over which he did not exercise that control which the principles of virtue and piety required. One of the evils arising to the Israelites from their subjection to the Philistines was, the intermarriages to which it gave rise, between their young people. Samson, among others, fell into this snare. Happening, at Timnath, to see a young woman of the daughters of the Philistines, with whom he was greatly pleased, he requested his parents to procure her as a wife for him. In vain did they remonstrate against his purpose, for his passion had obtained the complete mastery over him, and he insisted that his father should get this woman for him. His parents, finding it useless to oppose the headstrong inclination of their son, yielded to his wishes with great reluctance; not knowing that Providence was ordering and disposing of this event to bring about a deliverance of the people from the yoke of the Philistines. They, however, judged it expedient to go down with their son to Timnath.

And when Samson came to the vineyards of Timnath, a young lion came roaring against him: “and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand.” At this time his parents were not present with him, and he did not inform them when they came up of the event which had occurred. This visit to the woman of Timnath served to rivet his attachment, and at this time all matters were agreed upon between the parties. Accordingly, at the appointed time, Samson returned to Timnath to celebrate his nuptials; and feeling a curiosity to see what had become of the carcass of the lion which he had slain on his former visit, he turned aside, and “behold there was a swarm of bees, and honey in the carcass of the lion. And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat; but he told them not that he bad taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.” From this account it is evident that some months must have elapsed between these two visits; for that was required to render it practicable for a swarm of bees to build their combs and prepare their honey in the carcass of the lion. In that warm region, where it rains but seldom in the summer season, it is probable that the carcass had become dry, and so, the intestines being taken out, and the body suspended on the limb of a tree, might furnish a veryconvenient receptacle for a swarm of bees.

The marriage feast was celebrated for seven days, according to the custom of the place; and thirty companions were provided to attend on the bridegroom. “And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: 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. And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, entice thy husband that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire. Have ye called us to take that we have? Is it not so? And Samson’s wife wept before lilm, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not. Thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her. Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him. And she told the riddle to the children of her people. And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day, before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their 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. But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.”

This history furnishes us with an instructive example of the evils which attend intermarriages between the children of God, and his enemies. We see also, that that which begins in sport may end in death. A wedding feast has often generated broils which terminated in woful disaster.

SECTION XXYIII.

SAMSON, NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS DONE, COMES TO VISIT HIS WIFE — HER YOUNGER SISTER IS OFFERED BY THE FATHER SAMSON DECLINES ALL FURTHER CONNEX-ION, AND SETS THE GRAIN OF THE PHILISTINES ON FIRE SLAYS A THOUSAND

MEN IN LEHI — A MIRACULOUS FOUNTAIN OPENED IN THIS PLACE.

It appears that Samson was not informed that his wife had been given to another, and being sincerely attached to this treacherous woman, he came down in the time of harvest, with the present of a kid, to visit her, and was about to enter her chamber, but was prevented by her father, who now informed him that his wife had been given to his companion. For this strange proceeding her father offered no other reason than the impression which he had received, that he, Samson, had lost all affection for his wife. But willing to conciliate a man whom he had so much injured, and fearing the displeasure of a man whose passions were impetuous, and whose strength was irresistible, he offered to him as a wife his younger daughter. And, said he, “Is not her younger sister fairer than she? Take her, I pray thee, instead of her.” Samson declined all further connexion with this family, and began to meditate vengeance against the whole nation of the Philistines. Having suffered so heavy an injury, lie laid a plan to destroy their corn Tvlilcli was standing in the field, and also that which was gathered into shocks. The plan adopted was, to catch three hundred foxes, (or jackals as some suppose,) and to tie them two and two by the tails, and to insert a burning brand, or torch, between each pair, and then to let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines. And the conflagration proved destructive not only to the standing corn and the shocks of grain already reaped, but also to the vineyards and olives. When the Philistines found that this destruction of their property had been caused by Samson the son-in-law of the Timnite, because his father-in-law had taken away his wife and had given her to his companion, they determined to wreak their vengeance on him, as having given the provocation; and accordingly they came up and burnt her and her father with fire. And Samson, when he understood that the Philistines had come up with hostile intentions, attacked them and slew many of them, and then retired from their country and dwelt on the top of the rock Etam. The Philistines being determined to revenge themselves for all these injuries, marched with a considerable force into Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. “And the men of Judah said. Why are ye come up against us? And they answered. To bind Samson are we come up, and to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this thou hast done unto us? And he said. As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said, Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying. No, but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hands. But surely ive will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him from the rock. And when he came to 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 ofi” his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.” And “he cast away the jaw-bone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi,” the import of which is, the lifting up of the jaiv-hone.” And he was sore athirst, and called on, the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant, and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? But God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw, (or rather in Lehi, for the place had already received this name,) and there came

water thereout, and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived; therefore he called the name thereof En-hakkore,” that is, the well of him that called; which, says the sacred historian, “is in Lehi unto this day.”

From these last words, it is evident that our translators were mistaken in supposing that the water issued from the jawbone; for it appears that the bursting forth of the waters was not temporary but permanent; and surely this perennial spring did not run continually from a jaw-bone. The simple fact is most obvious. From the weapon which Samson employed, the place received its denomination of Lehi. In this place there was a hollow, from which God caused a fountain to issue to allay Samson’s thirst, and this became a perennial spring or well.

SECTION XXIX.

JIOHAL CHARACTER OF SAMSON — HIS LOVE OF DELILAH BY TAMPERING WITH HER

THE PHILISTINES LEARN WHEREIN HIS GREAT STRENGTH CONSISTED HIS HEAD

SHORN AND HIS EYES PUT OUT — IS PUT INTO THE PRISON AT GAZA AND KEPT AT HARD LABOUR.

The character of Samson was not very consistent. Although a consecrated Nazarite from his birth, yet he was a man much under the dominion of his passions. If we had nothing else to guide our judgment but this history of his acts, we should not be ready to draw the conclusion that he was a pious man: but as Paul has given him a place, as well as Jephthah, among distinguished believers, we must not hesitate to admit that, with all his imperfections, Samson was a sincere servant of God. The most objectionable part of his recorded life, was his illicit connexion with strange women, of which we have several examples; but in every instance, these amours became a snare to him. At Gaza his enemies surrounded the city, and only waited for the morning light, to put him to death; but this man, of more than human strength, “rose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.”

The most fatal attachment, however, which Samson cherished for the daughters of the Philistines was for a deceitful woman “in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” The lords of the Philistines, understanding how much he was under her influence, offered her a very large reward if she would find out and reveal to them the secret of his astonishing strength of body, and on what it depended. Samson at first deluded her, and said, “If they bind me with seven green witlies that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.” Accordingly, they, receiving the green withes from the lords of the Philistines, had him bound with them; but as soon as the men who lay in wait attempted to seize him, “he brake the withes as a thread of tow is broken, when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.” Again he was beset by this ensnaring woman to reveal the secret; and she now added reproaches to her entreaties. Upon which he told her, if they would bind him with new cords which had never been used, he would be helpless as another man; but when this experiment was also tried, “he brake them off his arms as a thread.” A third time he deceived her, by saying, “If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web,” I shall be weak as another man; but when this was done while he was asleep, and the Philistines arose upon him, “he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web.” Delilah now became exceedingly importunate, and called in question Samson’s love for her. “And she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him so that his soul was vexed unto death.” He therefore, at length, revealed unto her his whole heart, and said, “There hath not come a razor upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” From this it appears, that Samson’s extraordinary strength did not depend on any muscular force which he naturally possessed, but was a supernatural endowment; and this is also signified in those passages where it is said, that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Delilah perceiving that she had now succeeded in eliciting from him the secret which he had so industriously concealed before, caused, while Samson slept, a man to shave the seven locks of his head; and then brought his enemies upon him. “And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself, and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.” The Philistines, now finding that their formidable enemy was completely in their power, proceeded in the first place to put out his eyes; and then took him down to Gaza, “and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.”

Wretched, indeed, was the condition of Samson, and small was the prospect that he would ever again have it in his power to retaliate upon his enemies, and the enemies of God, for their treachery and cruelty; but the providence of God is mysterious, and the retributions of vindicatory justice are often terrible, even in this world. It was so ordered, that this judge in Israel, who had in his lifetime destroyed so great a number of this accursed people, should be able, in the moment of his death, to destroy more of the Philistines than during his whole life.

While immured in the prison his hair began again to grow, and his former extraordinary strength was restored. The Philistines were all gross idolaters, and of the devoted race of the Canaanites, whom the Israelites were commanded to extirpate. The god which they worshipped was called Dagon, and was represented by an image or idol, which was partly a fish, and partly man, of which an account has heretofore been given. In Gaza there was a spacious temple dedicated to this idol; and the Philistines, having now overcome their greatest enemy, celebrated a feast in this temple, and “offered a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. And when their hearts were merry, they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And when he was brought out of the prison, he made them sport. And they set him between the pillars.” It seems that this huge edifice rested upon two large pillars, which stood near to each other. “And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, 0 Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, only this once, 0 God, that I may be at once avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up; of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. Then his brethren, and all the house of his father, came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.”

SECTION XXX.

ORIGIN OF IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL IN THE HOUSE OF MICAH — THE DANITES SEND SPIES

TO SEEK A NEW HABITATION SIX HUNDRED MEN ARE SENT OUT TO SEIZE A

COUNTRY VISITED BY THE SPIES THEY CARRY OFF MICAH’S GODS AND THE PRIEST

WHO OFFICIATED — THESE IDOLS THEY SET UP AND WORSHIPPED FOB A LONG TIME.

The sacred historian, after finishing the history of Samson, who is thought to have been contemporary with Eli, goes back to give an account of the rise of idolatry among the people of Israel, after the death of Joshua. A certain woman of mount Ephraim had amassed a considerable sum of money, which her son, whose name is Micah, stole. The old woman, who had no pious feelings, seemed to have suspected her son of the theft, and poured out curses on the person, whoever he might be, who had taken her treasure. Micah feeling uneasy in his conscience, and finding that he was suspected, came forward and confessed his crime, and restored the money to his mother. She now declared that she had “wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord.” This, at first view, seems to have been a very pious act; but the truth was, that her religion was deeply infected with the spirit of superstition and idolatry; for she designed it for “a graven image, and a molten image.” And, accordingly, a sufficient quantity of the restored silver was put into the hands of the founder, and these images were formed, and placed in the house of Micah: and that this idolatrous worship might be conducted with suitable ceremony and pomp, this man erected a building or temple, purposely for the reception of his gods. He also “made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.” This introduction of idolatry met with no resistance, for at that time there existed no king in Israel, nor any other governing power to restrain the practice of iniquity, “but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Soon after the erection of this house of idolatrous worship, a young Levite from Beth-lehem-judah, who by the mother’s side seems to have been descended from the tribe of Judah, left his native place, and wandered off in search of a place, until he came to the house of Micah, who invited him to take up his abode with him and officiate as his priest; for he thought that this young man being a Levite was better suited for the sacerdotal office than his own son, whom he had before consecrated. To this proposal, the young Levite acceded, and Micah promised to give him ten shekels of silver, by the year, and a suit of apparel, and his victuals. “Then said Micah, now I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.”

In those days of anarchy, the Danites feeling themselves straitened for want of room, sent five men of valour to look out a suitable place to which some of them might emigrate. These men came, in their expedition, to the house of Micah, where they recognized the young Levite, and finding that he officiated here as a priest, they requested him to ask counsel of God, whether their way would be prosperous. The priest soon gave them a favourable response, saying, “Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.” It may be remarked here, that in the first advances towards idolatry, the object was not to introduce other gods, but to worship the true God by images, or other visible representations. Thus, when the Israelites forced Aaron to make the golden calf, Jehovah was professedly the object of their worship; and when Jeroboam set up the idolatrous calves in Dan and Beth-el, the object was, to worship Jehovah by these images. And so, in this case, Micah and his priest considered their images as means of worshipping the true God.

These five spies of Dan, having received an encouragement from the young priest, proceeded on their journey, until they came to Laish, where they found a good country, and a people living quietly and securely; and they appeared to be without any means of effectual defence against invasion, “for there was no magistrate in the land,” and no man was restrained from following his own inclinations by any fear of civil rulers. These people seem to have nominally appertained to the Zidonians, but being far off, and not engaged in commerce, they were suffered to pursue their own course unmolested. When the spies returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, whence they had gone out, they gave a very favourable account of the country which they had discovered. They represented it as “a very good land” — “a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth,” and as one of sufficient extent and easy to be possessed. Upon hearing this report, the Danites despatched “six hundred men, appointed with weapons of war.” This little army, conducted by the spies, came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah; and being informed of the “house of gods” which was here, they sent in the five men who were acquainted with the place, “to take the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image.” And when the priest said, “What do ye? they said. Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.” As soon as Micah and the men of his house were informed of the robbery which had been committed, they pursued after the children of Dan, and overtook them, and cried after them. “And they turned their faces and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou com est with such a company? And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and what have ] more? And what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? And the children of Dan said, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. And the children of Dan went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his own house.”

This company of the tribe of Dan now prosecuted their enterprise against the people of Laish, whom they found in the same careless and defenceless state which had been represented by the spies. “And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire; and there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon; and they had no business with any man.” “And they built a city and dwelt therein; and they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father.” “And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. And they set up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.”

Although idolatry was a capital crime, according to the laws given to the Israelites, as being the highest treason against God their king, yet during this period of anarchy, which preceded the raising up of judges to govern the land and enforce the laws, no notice was taken of this open defection of the children of Dan from the worship of the true God. It seems that the worship of these images of Micah continued for a long time, even as long as the tabernacle remained at Shiloh.

The transactions mentioned in this section, and also those recorded in the following, are commonly believed to have occurred while Phinehas was high-priest.

SECTION XXXI.

HISTORY OF THE LEVITE AND HIS CONCUBINE, AND THE WAR AGAINST BENJAMIN.

How much, under God, we are indebted to the existence of civil government, can only be known by contemplating a people among whom there is no such institution; or where the ordinance is so far perverted, and salutary authority so far relaxed, that wickedness is left without restraint, and lust and violence reign triumphantly. Some memorable examples of this kind we have on record for our instruction and warning in the sacred volume, as in the case of the people whose wickedness provoked the Almighty to inundate the world with a flood of waters. Such also was the character of the cities of the plain, which were overwhelmed with a storm of fire and brimstone; and such likewise was the character of the seven nations of Canaan, whom God ordered the Israelites to exterminate, lest they should be led to learn their abominable ways. And this precaution was not unnecessary, for we find here recorded, a degree of shameful wickedness in a town inhabited by the children of Benjamin, which places them upon a level with Sodom itself. A certain Levite, who sojourned on the side of mount Ephraim, married a woman of Beth-lehem-judah. She is indeed called a concubine, but concubines, among the Israelites, were really wives of an inferior order; and, as such, were required to be true to their husbands. This woman, however, proved unfaithful, and she also went away from her lord to her father’s house, at Beth-lehem-judah, and remained there “four whole months.” “And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his own servant with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him in to her father’s; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.” And for three days his father-in-law entertained him in the most friendly and hospitable manner. And when, on the fourth day, the Levite was ready with his wife and servant, to proceed on his journey homeward, his father-in-law pressed him to take some refreshment before he took his departure; and when they had eat and drunk together, he then urged him to be contented to remain all night. And the next morning, it being the fifth of his sojourning with his father-in-law, the same friendly urgency was used to detain him longer; and while they enjoyed themselves in feasting together, the day wore away, and his father-in-law said, “The day draweth towards evening, I pray you tarry all night. Behold the day groweth to an end: lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to-morrow, get you early on your way, that you may go hence. But the man would not tarry that night, but rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (which is Jerusalem). And his wife, his servant, and the two asses, accompanied him. And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said unto his master. Come, I pray thee, and let us turn into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. And the master said unto him, AVe will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel.

We will pass over to Gibeah. And lie said to Lis servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.”

The general principles by which the Levite was governed in selecting a place of lodging for himself and company, were sound and good; for, so far as we consistently can, we should avoid familiar intercourse with the wicked, and should be reluctant to partake of their hospitalities; and we should always seek to cast in our lot, and take up our residence, among the professed people of God. “The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour.” But, sometimes, the worst people are found within the pale of the visible church; and certainly no description of wicked men are more to be dreaded than hypocrites. It would be better to fall into the hands of the savages of the wilderness, than to come under the power of false professors. The event, in the case before us, was very unhappy. “For they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. And they turned aside to go in, and lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in he sat him down in a street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.” This want of common hospitality was remarkable a in city of the east, and particularly among the descendants of Abraham; and was indicative of a wretched state of morals. In most places, in ancient and modern times, there was a competition to get possession of strangers, as is now remarkably the case in the interior of Arabia. But Gibeah seems to have resembled Sodom in this respect, as well as being addicted to crimes against nature. At length, however, “an old man came from his work, out of the field, at even;” and when he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, he inquired of him, whence he was and whither going. To which the Levite gave him a direct and satisfactory answer; and let him know that no person who should receive them would be subjected to expense on their account, for they had come furnished with straw and provender for the asses, and with bread and wine for himself, his handmaid, and the young man who was with him. “And the old man said. Peace be unto you, howsoever, let all thy wants lie upon me, only lodge not in the street. So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.” While the Levite was enjoying himself in a convivial manner, the house was beset by a company of lawless wretches, the sons of Belial, who beat at the door, and demanded of the master of the house, that the guest whom he entertained should be brought out unto them, for the vilest purposes. Entreaties and expostulation availed nothing in restraining these monsters of iniquity; and as the least of two evils, the Levite gave up his -wife to be treated by these men raging with lust, agreeably to their pleasure. The result was, that in the morning the woman was found dead at the door of the house where her lord was; and her hands were on the threshold. Her husband, not suspecting at first that she was dead, said, “Up, and let us be going;” but none answered. Finding that she was really dead, “he put her upon an ass, and gat him unto his place. And when he was come into his house, he took a knife and divided her into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. And it was so, that all that saw it, said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt, unto this day. Consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.” The method pursued by the Levite had the effect of arousing the people to indignation; so that they assembled at Mizpeh, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead. The host now convened amounted to the number of four hundred thousand men that drew the sword. And, although the messengers who passed

through the land with the pieces of the murdered woman, had spread the report of the horrid transaction; yet before inflicting deserved punishment on the inhabitants of Gibeah, they called for the Levite, the husband of the woman, and demanded of him a full declaration of the affair, “saying. Tell us how was this wickedness?” And he related the matter distinctly before them; and concluded by saying, “they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. Behold ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.” When they heard his narrative, all the people arose as one man, and determined on taking vengeance on the wicked city; but as so large an army did not seem to be needed for the enterprise, they selected by lot one tenth part of the whole number, and appointed others to supply them with provisions. Thus were the men of Israel knit together as one man, resolved to inflict condign punishment on this devoted city.

SECTION XXXII.

THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN REFUSE TO GIVE UP THE GUILTY PERPETRATORS OF THE ENORMOUS WICKEDNESS THEY DEFEAT THE OTHER TRIBES WITH GREAT SLAUGH-TER IN TWO SUCCESSIVE BATTLES ON THE THIRD DAY THE MEN OF ISRAEL

‘PLACED AN AMBUSH, AND DREW THE MEN OF BENJAMIN FROM GIBEON, BY A PRETENDED FLIGHT THE TRIBE NEARI-Y EXTINGUISHED THE ISRAELITES RE-PENT OF THEIR EXTERMINATING SEVERITY.

Here we have a striking example of the strength of the spirit of party, or rather of tribe or clan. The great body of the Israelites being now prepared to punish the wicked inhabitants of Gibeah, did not wish to involve the residue of the tribe of

Benjamin in the guilt and punishment of this city. They therefore sent messengers through all the tribe of Benjamin, to expostulate with them, and to demand that the perpetrators of this wicked act should be delivered up to them, that they might he put to death, and thus evil be put away from Israel. “But the children of Benjamin would not hearken unto the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel,” and immediately prepared for war, determined with their small force to go out against the assembled host of all Israel. Upon being numbered, it appeared that their whole available force was no more than twenty-six thousand men; but this number did not include the men of Gibeah, who amounted to seven hundred. But the Benjamites were skilled in war, and of desperate courage. In their army, at this time, they had a very remarkable corps of seven hundred men, who were all left-handed, every one of whom could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss. As was before stated, the men of war from the other tribes formed an army of four hundred thousand men; but it was not judged necessary that more than a part of these should actually go up against their brethren; and feeling the solemn crisis which had arrived, they wished to take no important step without asking counsel of God. They therefore assembled at the house of God, at Shiloh, particularly to inquire which of the tribes should first go up to the battle against the children of Benjamin. “And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.” “And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah, and went out to battle against Benjamin. And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day, twenty and two thousand men.” This was a most unexpected and unaccountable disaster. No doubt there was something wrong in the conduct or in the spirit of the Israelites, which had provoked the Lord thus to give them into the hands of a small number of wicked men. This event appears the more strange, as the people seemed to have been actuated by a spirit of piety in what they had undertaken, and had in a public manner sought counsel of the Lord. The sacred history does not unfold to us the reason of Israel’s being forsaken of God, on this occasion. Their conduct, however, upon meeting with this unexpected defeat, seems to have been proper and pious. They did not abandon themselves to despair, l3ut encouraged themselves to make another effort, hoping that in a second encounter they should be more successful than in the first: but again they deemed it right to ask counsel of the Lord; and in performing this act of worship, they were much afi’ected, and wept before the Lord, saying,” Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?

And the Lord said, Go up against him.” On the second day, battle was joined with the children of Benjamin, and the result was nearly as disastrous as on the former day; for, on this occasion, Benjamin went forth from Gibeah, “and destroyed down to the ground, of the children of Israel, eighteen thousand men.” “Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until the even, and ofiered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord.”

What was before stated, as to the time when these transactions occurred, is expressly confirmed, for it is said, “that Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before the Lord in those days.” The same inquiry was made of the Lord, as on the former occasions of consulting him, “Shall I again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up, for to-morrow I will deliver them into thy hand.” Israel had now, taught by experience and misfortune, become less confident in their own prowess, and more attentive to those stratagems of war by which success is often obtained; for they now placed men in ambush round about the city, and then drew off the men of Benjamin to a distance; who, flushed with their two recent and extraordinary victories, thought of nothing else but achieving a third victory, and “began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah.” And they succeeded in slaying about thirty men of Israel. “And the children of Benjamin, said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said. Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.” And the liers-in-wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore, but they knew not that evil was near them. “And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day, twenty and two thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.” “While the men of Benjamin were engaged in the battle, and by stratagem were drawn off to a distance from the city, the liersin-wait rushed into the city, and slew the inhabitants with the edge of the sword. As soon as they had gained complete possession of Gibeah, they signified the fact to their brethren, by kindling a great flame with smoke, which sign had been agreed upon beforehand. When the men of Benjamin looked back, and saw by the flame and pillar of smoke that the city was in the possession of their enemies, they found that they were indeed in an evil case. And when they turned and fled towards the way of the wiklerness, still they could not escape, for “the battle overtook them; and the men of Israel inclosed the Benjamites round about, and trode them down with case over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising. And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these were men of valour.” That is, this number was slain in the field of battle; but to these must be added five thousand who were taken and slain on the highways; and also two thousand who were pursued to a place called Gidom, and slain there; so that, omitting smaller numbers, there fell of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand valiant men. And the only remnant which escaped of their whole army, were six hundred men, who escaped to the rock Rimmon, where they abode four months. The children of Israel, not contented with the signal vengeance taken on Benjamin, by the destruction of all their men of war, carried desolation into their country, “and smote the people with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand.” It would seem that the whole army of Israel were now filled with such indignation against the whole tribe of Benjamin, for their wicked conduct in screening the men of Gibeah from deserved punishment, and were actuated by so strong a desire to revenge the death of the forty thousand men of Israel slain in the first two battles, that they proceeded to consign to utter destruction the whole of this tribe on whom they could lay their hands. But when the

violence of their wrath began to cool, and they reflected on what they had done, and that one of the twelve tribes had perished from Israel, they were penetrated with grief, and went up to the house of God at Shiloh, “and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices and wept sore; and said, 0 Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel? And on the morrow the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.”

SECTION XXXIII.

JABESH-GILEAD SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR REFUSING AID — THE YOUNG VIRGINS OF

THIS PLACE ONLY PRESERVED, FOR WIVES TO THE SURVIVING BENJAMITES THE

DAUGHTERS OF SHILOH SEIZED AND CARRIED OFF FOR THE SAME PURPOSE.

There was another affair which now engaged their attention, and which eventually was made to have a connexion with the preservation of the tribe of Benjamin from becoming utterly extinct. When the people had first assembled from the tribes of Israel, on the unhappy occasion which has been mentioned, they were inspired with such a zeal against the Benjamites that they entered into a solemn oath that none of them would give them their daughters for wives; and they moreover swore, that whatever city had neglected to come up with the congregation unto the Lord unto Mizpeh, the inhabitants thereof should surely be put to death. And when the people were numbered, it appeared that none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead were there; and in fulfilment of the great oath by which they had rashly bound themselves, they now despatched twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. They were, however, directed to save alive and bring back with them all the young virgins whom they might find, that they might serve for wives to the small remnant of the men of Benjamin, who were known to be concealed in the rock Rimmon. This expedition speedily and literally executed their orders upon the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, and returned with four hundred virgins. The congregation of Israel now entered into a negotiation with the six hundred Benjamites in the rock Rimmon: and they entered into a treaty of peace with them, and gave them for wives the females who had been saved alive from Jabesh-gilead; but as their number was six hundred, and the women were only four hundred, there was still a deficiency of wives for the remnant of Benjamin. The human passions are prone to oscillate from one extreme to another. The indignation which had burned so hotly and destructively against this unhappy tribe, was now turned into the tenderest compassion, and with compunction for the severity which led them nearly to extirpate one of the tribes of Israel. Therefore “the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? And they said. There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped from Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.” The device which was now adopted to supply the deficiency of wives for these men, bears a strong resemblance to the rape of the Sabines by the Romans, at a later period. There was shortly to be a feast at Shiloh, on which occasion it was customary for companies of young damsels to amuse themselves by dancing in the vineyards, which were on the way between Bethel and Shechem. In this place the Benjamites were directed to lie in wait, and to catch every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and to bear them off to the land of Benjamin. And the ciders of Israel promised that when the fathers or brethren of the daughters of Shiloh came to make complaint, we will say unto them. Be favourable unto them for our sakes. And the men of Benjamin did so, and took -wives according to their number, whom they caught, and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

SECTION XXXIV.

HISTORY OF RUTH, AND NAOMI HER MOTHER-IN-LAW.

From the Bible history we learn, that the occurrence of famine was no uncommon event in Judea. If there was a failure of the former or latter rains, there was of course a deficiency in the productions of the earth: the first of these rains occurred in autumn, about the time of sowing the winter grain; the last in the spring, when the wheat and barley were coming to maturity. Between these seasons, during the summer months, very little rain fell; a shower in harvest was reckoned an extraordinary occurrence. As the land was filled with a dense population, a famine was a fearful calamity, and occasioned a miserable death to many. The usual method of avoiding it was to flee to some of the neighbouring countries, where bread was in abundance. Thus, on one of these emergencies, during the government of the Judges, a man of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Elimelech, took his wife Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, and went and abode in the land of Moab. But whilst he fled from death in one form, it overtook him in another, soon after his emigration. Often families are induced to seek new habitations on account of the pressure of particular evils, but while they escape difiiculties of one kind, they are apt to fall into others not less grievous. This man was in good circumstances in Judea, but in a strange land his property wasted away, and his own life was cut short. As might have been expected also, his sons formed matrimonial alliances with the daughters of Moab, which kind of connexions, in all ages, have been a snare to the people of God. Here, also, they were far removed from the house and ordinances of Jehovah, and exposed to all the abominations of idolatry. Calamities frequently come in clusters. After a sojourn of about ten years, both these young men died also in the land of Moab, it would seem nearly about the same time. Thus was Naomi bereaved of her husband and her two sons, and left destitute in a foreign country. The name of one of her daughters-in-law was Orpah, and of the other Ruth, who after the decease of their husbands chose to live with Naomi; and they seem to have formed a strong attachment to their mother-in-law; for when she, upon hearing that the Lord had visited his people in the land of Judea, in giving them bread, resolved to return to her native country, these young women, although they had parents of their own, insisted upon accompanying her. But as she was reduced to poverty, and had no prospect of any easy method of support, begged them to relinquish the idea of going with her, and to return each to her mother’s house. “Go,” said she, “return each to her mother’s house; the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept. And they said, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters, why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to-night, and should also bear sons, would ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. And they lifted up their voice and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said. Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I

will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou chest, will I die, and there will I l3e buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.” When Naomi saw that her determination was fixed, she ceased from all further attempts to dissuade Ruth from going along with her.

After this tender scene, the two widows, poor and desolate, travelled on until they came to Beth-lehem, the former residence of Naomi, from which she, with her husband, had emigrated many years before. The inhabitants of the place were greatly excited when they recognized their old neighbour again restored to them after so long an absence. But they could with difficulty be persuaded that she was indeed the identical person whom they had once known as a resident among them. Doubtless, time and sorrow had made a great change in Naomi’s person; and her condition as well as her person was sadly altered. No wonder, therefore, they said to one another, with surprise and some degree of doubt, “Is this Naomi?” When the afflicted widow heard her old neighbours address her by this name, the import of which is “pleasant,” she said with emotion, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara,” the meaning of which is “bitter:” “for,” said she, “the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with mc. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty. Why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” The time of the arrival of Naomi and Ruth at Beth-lehem was, “in the beginning of barley-harvest.” Thus that death from which Elimelech and his sons fled, overtook them in the land where they sojourned; and that poverty, the dread of which had induced them to leave the holy land, now came heavily upon the family. Their substance had wasted away in a foreign country; so that when Naomi returned, she was in a state of abject poverty. This circumstance will account for the earnestness with which she entreated her daughters-in-law to return and live with their friends; and it furnishes strong evidence of the strength of Ruth’s attachment to her, or rather the strength of that piety towards the God of Israel which animated her breast. Naomi, however, had rich relations in Bethlehem, but possessing an independent spirit she would not obtrude herself upon their attention, much less solicit any favours from them.

But Naomi, though poor and desolate, trusted in God, and was blessed with a daughter-in-law who loved her most tenderly, and was not ashamed to labour for her subsistence. As these widows had no harvest to gather in, their only resource for a living was to avail themselves of that provision made for the poor in the law of Moses, by which they were permitted to follow the reapers, and glean such handfuls as they happened to drop, or such stalks as were left standing in the corners of the field. Ruth, of her own accord, proposed to engage in this work; and it so happened, that the first field into which she entered, belonged to a near relation of her mother-in-law, whose name was Boaz, and who was a man of extensive property and wealth. Boaz appears to have been a man of piety as well as wealth; for when he came out of Beth-lehem to the field to see the reapers, his salutation was, “The Lord be with you.” And their answer corresponded with the piety of the master’s salutation; for they said, “The Lord bless thee.” There is something exceedingly pleasing in these ancient forms of pious intercourse. Very different is often the language of reapers and their employers in the harvest-field in our day. The attention of Boaz was now directed to Ruth, whom he had not before seen; and he inquired of the overseer of the reapers, “Whose damsel is this?” To whom the servant answered, “It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. And she said, I pray you let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves, so she came and hath continued even from the morning until now. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter, go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them. Have I not charged the yoimg men that they shall not touch thee? And T’hen thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn.” This unexpected condescension and kindness from the wealthy owner of the harvest affected this poor young stranger not a little; for “she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly to thine handmaid, though I be not like thine handmaids. And Boaz said unto her. At meal-time come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying. Let her glean even among the sheaves and reproach her not, and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.” Thus was an acquaintance formed between these worthy persons, who, though in very diff”erent external circumstances. Providence had determined should be united in the most intimate and tender bond known upon earth. We see here, that virtuous and praise-worthy conduct, even in humble circumstances, may attract the attention and even the esteem of those in superior stations. Boaz had

heard, it seems, the whole story of the devoted attachment of this young Moabitess to her afflicted mother-in-law, and how, for her sake, and more especially for the sake of her religion with which she had become enamoured, that she was willing to leave her own father and mother and her native land, and to sojourn in a land of strangers, where she was under the necessity of gleaning in the harvest-field for a scanty subsistence for herself and her aged friend. But great as were the sacrifices which she had made, and urgent as were the necessities under which she laboured, and the privations of abject poverty which she endured, she neither repined nor murmured at her hard lot, but cheerfully submitted to her afflictions, and with alacrity performed the labours required by her circumstances. And until this time it is not probable that she entertained any hope of rising into a more favourable condition. It is evident that Boaz was instantly struck with the appearance of this young woman. Although it is not recorded, it is more than probable that, like many other of the good women who have been honoured with a notice in the sacred Scriptures, she was of a beautiful aspect, and of a modest and becoming demeanour. But Boaz, a pious and prudent man, was prepared by the good report which he had heard of the kindness of Ruth to her mother-in-law, his near relation, to entertain kind feelings towards her; yet it does not appear that the idea of making her his wife had yet taken possession of his mind. The fact was, that according to the levirate law of Moses, the right of claiming her in marriage belonged to another, who stood in a nearer degree of kindred to the husband of the Moabitess than Boaz.

When Ruth returned in the evening to her mother-in-law, laden with the fruits of her successful gleaning, the inquiry was made, “Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where wroughtest thou?” And when Naomi heard that she happened to fall into the field of Boaz — for this was not the effect of any preconcerted plan — she was sensibly affected with the providence which led her daughter-in-law to that place, and also with the remarkable kindness and condescension of her rich relative. She exclaimed, therefore, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her. The man is of near kin unto us; one of our next kinsmen.” Ruth also informed her mother-in-law, that she had received a pressing invitation to glean in the field of Boaz, until the end of the harvest; which was very pleasing to Naomi, for she was glad that she could labour among those who would treat her respectfully. And accordingly she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley-harvest, and wheat-harvest, and dwelt with her mother-in-law.

SECTION XXXV.

BOAZ MAHRIES RUTH — HER SON OBED WAS THE FATHER OF JESSE, THE FATHER OF

DAVID.

There is nothing concerning which we are more likely to fall into grievous mistakes, than by judging of the manners and customs of ancient nations by what is common among us. That which in one age is reckoned perfectly innocent, and as laying not the least foundation for censure or reproach, would, in another country and age, be considered highly indecorous.

Naomi, who understood the laws and customs of the Jews, began now to entertain the hope, that notwithstanding their depressed circumstances, Boaz would be induced to perform to her amiable daughter-in-law the part of a near kinsman, by taking her to wife and raising up seed to his deceased relative. The only difficulty was to bring him to understand that this duty devolved on him, unless another kinsman, who was still nearer should claim his right. Naomi, therefore, formed a plan for bringing the matter to a crisis. Whether her advice was in every respect prudent and becoming, we are not able to judge. Many transactions of the patriarchs and early ages of the world cannot but appear strange to us; and we know that the record of a fact in the sacred Scriptures does not give it the stamp of divine approbation. Bad actions as well as good are left on record; and not only the bad conduct of wicked men, but the slips and falls of the most eminent saints. Even if we should be obliged to censure the device of Naomi as imprudent and unjustifiable, and as an unwarrantable exposure of the chastity of her daughter-in-law, it will reflect no discredit upon the Bible; it will only be another example of the imperfections of the saints. As has been intimated, however, we are incompetent judges of this transaction, unless we had a more complete knowledge of the customs of the ancient Israelites, relative to such matters.

It was customary at the end of harvest, to celebrate a feast, at which the master associated in a free and friendly manner with his labourers, and ate and drank with them in a cheerful manner. Something of this kind seems to have been done by Boaz, at the threshing-floor where his servants were winnowing barley. Naomi directed Ruth to wash, anoint, and dress herself, and to go to this place; and told her precisely how she was to act. That “when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn, that she should go and lay herself down at his feet, and uncover his feet.” The young woman trusted implicitly to the prudence and integrity of her mother-in-law, and acted precisely as she was directed. And doubtless Naomi proceeded upon the full persuasion that Boaz, being a good and honourable man, and a near relative, would not take advantage of the helpless young stranger, who was about to cast herself upon his generosity. Circumstances which would be a powerful temptation to one whose virtue is weak, may be perfectly safe to another who lives habitually in the fear of God.

Boaz knew not that a woman lay at his feet, until about midnight, he observed her, and was afraid; and he said, “AVho art thou? And she answered, I am Buth, thine handmaid, spread, therefore, thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” These words, which, had been put into her mouth, imported a claim to be taken as his wife, according to the hxw of the Lord. This claim, it appears, widows were allowed by custom to make. Indeed it was no more than asserting their right; just as a wife would claim her own husband, to whom she had been legally joined in marriage. But if there was any thing indecorous in making this request, there was certainly no iniquity in it; and whatever of imprudence or forwardness any may judge to have been in this conduct, it must not be charged upon the modest Ruth, who in the whole business followed implicitly the directions of her mother-in-law, who had been her only instructor, in all that related to the law of the Lord. But, that the request of Ruth was not considered unbecoming or improper, appears from the answer of Boaz, who seems to have been highly gratified with the opportunity of declaring his mind to his fair kinswoman. “And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter; for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich.” He considered it a strong evidence of her virtue and kindness to the family of her deceased husband, that she who was not bound by the judicial law of the Israelites, but might have sought a husband among young men of other families, should be disposed to yield a cheerful obedience to the laws of her adopted country, and should be disposed to claim him as her husband’s substitute and successor, who was considerably advanced in years. This appears to be his meaning when he speaks of her not following young men, whether rich or poor. This honourable man now promised to comply with the request of Ruth, as far as it was legally in his power. He said, “My daughter, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requirest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now, it is true, I am thy near kinsman; howbeit, there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part; but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth.”

It gives us a favourable opinion of the inhabitants of Bethlehem at this time, that they were capable of appreciating, as they did, the character of Ruth, in the humble vale of poverty in which she walked; and that their chief citizen was a man of so much integrity and honour: that, although living in the possession of wealth and reputation, he was disposed to perform a sacred duty towards a poor relative, if it should not be performed by another, to whom it first appertained.

AVhen Ruth returned to Naomi, bearing a valuable present of six measures of barley from Boaz, and related to her all that had passed between them, her mother-in-law said, “Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thina; this day.” This sagacious and pious mother in Israel saw the leadings of Providence in this whole aiFair, and she perceived that it would not be long ere the will of Heaven in regard to her daughter-in-law would be satisfactorily developed.

As Naomi correctly judged, Boaz suffered no time to elapse, before he brought this matter, in which he was deeply interested, to a decision. He took the first opportunity of addressing himself to the kinsman referred to above. And that every thing might be transacted in the presence of a competent number of witnesses of suitable weight of character, “he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here, and they sat down. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s. And I thought to advertise thee, saying. Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me that I may know, for there is none to redeem it besides thee, and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Redeem thou my right to thyself, for I cannot redeem it.” At that time it was a custom in Israel to confirm bargains of this kind by the ceremony of plucking off the shoe and giving it to his neighbour, and this was considered a testimony of the validity of the contract. “Therefore, the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee; so he drew ofi” his shoe.” And Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s of the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut ofi” from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place. Ye are witnesses this day. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders said. We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth-lehem. And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.”

Altlioiigh Naomi returned home in abject poverty, she still had a title to her husband’s land; and it appears from the language of Boaz to his kinsman, that the widow had a right to sell her right. The law requiring a brother, or the nearest male kinsman, to marry the widow of a brother deceased, was intended to preserve the inheritance in the family, and to prevent the extinction of families. The first-fruits of such marriages were legally reckoned to the deceased, and inherited as if they had been his real posterity. When the widow of a deceased Israelite was, at the time of his death, past the age of child-bearing, the law would not apply; and this was doubtless the fact in regard to Naomi; but this did not affect the rights of her son’s widows. As these sons had as good a title to their part of the landed inheritance as their father, their widows would have a claim. The nearest kinsman seems at first to have supposed that the inheritance of his deceased relatives would become his, by paying Naomi a reasonable sum for her right; but when he found that there was in the family a young widow whom he must marry, in order to comply with the law, he relinquished his right to Boaz, The reason which he assigned for declining to redeem the inheritance was, lest he should by this means mar his own. The meaning may be, that to redeem the inheritance of these three persons would require such a sum as would render it necessary for him to alienate a part of his own inheritance. The Jewish commentators, however, are of opinion, that this kinsman had a wife and children already, and did not wish to increase his expenses by enlarging his family, lest by this means he should waste or mar his inheritance.

“So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife.” “And the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age; for thy daughter-in-law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him. And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi, and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

SECTION XXXVI.

BIRTH OF SAMUEL.

In the town of Ramatliaim-Zopliim, was a man whose name was Elkanah, an Ephrathite. This man had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah; the bitter of whom bare children, the former, none. Elkanah was a devout man, and “went up yearly to Shiloh to worship, and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts.” This probably should be interpreted as not meaning that he went up merely once in the year, but that he was regular in his attendance at each of the annual feasts, according to the prescription of the law. At this time Eli was the high-priest, a man advanced in age, who had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who oflBciated at the tabernacle as priests of the Lord. At the solemn feasts which were celebrated at Shiloh, Elkanah dealt out liberal portions to his wife Peninnah and all her children, but to Hannah, who was his chiefly beloved wife, he gave a worthy portion. But as Hannah, though the favourite of her husband, bare no children, her rival took occasion to provoke and fret her; and this she did, not once or twice merely, but continually, especially when the family went up to Shiloh to the annual feasts. On this account Hannah was sore vexed, and wept, and refused to eat. “Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannahj why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?” But, Hannah, although she arose up, after the feast was over, still continued to indulge her grief; and in the bitterness of her soul she prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. “And she vowed a vow, and said, 0 Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall come no razor upon his head. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her. How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said. No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.” No good man was ever more misled by appearances than Eli, in the present instance. He imputed to intoxication, what

was the effect of a spirit deeply troubled, and earnestly wrestling with God in prayer. But although good men are liable to fall into mistakes of this kind, they are ever ready to renounce their errors, when the truth is clearly made known. Therefore, upon finding that Hannah was a very different kind of person from what he had taken her for, he changed his tone towards her instantly, and addressed her in the most affectionate manner, and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.” From this time Hannah recovered her wonted cheerfulness, and her countenance was no more sad. Believing prayer has a wonderful effect to dispel sorrow, and diffuse cheerfulness through the soul. Let all who are in bitterness of spirit, and suffer under a load of grief, seek relief at a throne of grace. Let them cast their burdens on the Lord and he will sustain them, and will turn their darkness into light, and cause them to exchange their griefs and complaints for joy and rejoicing.

The family of Elkanah having completed their service at the tabernacle in Shiloh, prepared to return home; but before they set out on their journey, as became a pious household, they engaged in a solemn act of worship to Jehovah, at the place where he had recorded his name, and where he had his residence between the cherubim: and they returned to Eamah, where he dwelt.

In due season Hannah received the answer to her earnest prayer, and enjoyed the happiness of embracing a son, whom she called Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.” When Elkanah went up to Shiloh with all his house, Hannah did not at this time accompany him; “for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever. And Elkanah, her husband, said unto her. Do what seemeth thee good. Tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word; so the woman abode and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young; and they slew a bullock and brought the child to Eli. And she said, 0 my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore, also, I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent unto the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.”

SECTION XXXVII.

HANNAH’S DIVINE SONG.

As Hannah manifested the ardour of her piety by the fervency of her prayer, so she was prompt and cordial in her thanksgiving to God for his mercy, when her petition was granted. The pious and elevated song which, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, she was enabled to sing on this occasion, is left on record for the edification of the church through all succeeding ages:

“My heart rejoiceth in the Lord.
INIy horn is exalted in the Lord.
]My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies,
Because I rejoice in thy salvation.
There is none holy as the Lord.
For there is none besides thee;
Neither is there any rock like our God.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly,

Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth,

For the Lord is a God of knowledge.
And by him are actions weighed.
The bows of the mighty men are broken;
And they that stumble are girt with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread;
And they that were hungry ceased:
So that the barren hath borne seven.
And she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
The Lord killcth and maketh alive:
He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich:
He bringeth low and he lifteth up:
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,
And lifteth up the beggar from the dung-hill,
To set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne

of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints,
And the wicked shall be silent in darkness;
For by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
Out of heaven shall he thunder upon them.
The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth.
And he shall give strength unto his King,
And exalt the horn of his anointed.”

SECTION XXXVIII.

SAMUEL IS LEFT AT 8HIL0H — ELl’S SONS — GOD’S MESSAGE TO ELI, BY A NAMELESS

PKOPHET.

Elkanah and his family having accomplished the object of their visit to Shiloh, returned again to Ramah, but the child Samuel was left at the tabernacle by his mother, according to the vow which she had vowed unto the Lord, that he should be lent unto the Lord as long as he lived. Samuel, therefore, ministered unto the Lord, before Eli the priest; and although he was not of the sacerdotal race, and could not officiate in any service -which belonged peculiarly to the priests, yet, as a consecrated Nazarite, he might have the privilege of remaining near the tabernacle, and of performing such services as were not appropriated to the family of Levi.

“The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.” They were both rapacious and licentious; and instead of setting an example of piety before the people who frequented the tabernacle at Shiloh, they not only acted corruptly themselves, but caused the people to offend against the Lord. “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.” Eli, though himself a pious man, had not acted with fidelity towards his sons, but had connived at their irregular proceedings, which neglect was very offensive in the eyes of the Lord.

“But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.^ Moreover, his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wdfe, and said. The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord.” And this prayer of the high-priest was abundantly fulfilled; for Hannah became the mother of three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel remained at Shiloh, and grew in stature, and conducted himself so wisely and piously, that he greatly pleased the Lord; so that he began early to reveal himself unto him. The sons of Eli, instead of reforming their vicious lives, increased in their wickedness; and their father did indeed speak to them when he heard of their repeated and enormous acts of wickedness, and said, “Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people; nay, my sons, for It is no good report that I hear. Ye make the Lord’s people to transgress. If a man sin against another, the judge shall judge him, but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?” This reproof was entirely too mild, and seems to have been given at too late a period, for it is assigned as a reason why it took no effect, that the Lord had determined to slay them. These yomig men ought to have been removed entirely from the service of the altar and the tabernacle. There were men enough of the sacerdotal order to perform these sacred services: and Eli, as the high-priest, had the authority to commit to whom he would the several parts of divine worship which was daily celebrated at the tabernacle. At any rate, his rebukes should have been more seasonable, more frequent, and more severe, for conduct which was so enormously wicked; and it seems that the young men made no attempt to conceal their transgressions: their sin was so public that all the people were acquainted with it, and, as is commonly the fact, all others knew it sooner than their father; for his knowledge was derived from public report. A pious father cannot be held responsible for the bad conduct of his sons, if he has faithfully performed his duty towards them; but if he has been acquainted with their acts of iniquity, and yet has refrained from reproving them; or if he has neglected to exercise wholesome discipline, and to remove them from those situations in which they have much power to do evil, he is guilty of a grievous sin, and one for which God will punish him with chastisements which will cause his own heart to bleed, and the ears of every one that heareth of them to tingle. And perhaps, among good men, no sin is more common than undue lenity towards sons, who are living in open transgression of the commandments of God. If they suffer the evil to run on for a long time, and should at last undertake to administer reproofs, they may come too late, and, as in the case of Eli, may produce no salutary effect. Such parents, however, commonly receive, in the providence of God, and from his word and Spirit, frequent admonitions of their duty. During the whole period of the theocracy, there were inspired men in Israel. It is probable that some of these received communications only at particular times, and were appointed to deliver special messages to individuals. In a number of cases, prophets are introduced as delivering communications from God, of whom we never hear any thing more, and whose names are not even given in the sacred record. We have an example of this sort in the history of Eli. “And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house? And did I choose him

out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? And did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice, and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation: and hononrest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore, the Lord God of Israel saith, I said, indeed, that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me, for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart: and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall die, both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart, and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine Anointed for ever. And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in thy house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say. Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priest’s offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.”

This solemn message from an anonymous prophet claims the attention of all parents, and especially of the ministers of the Lord. There is awful severity in the judgments denounced on the house of Eli, which were executed literally, as the sequel of the sacred history clearly demonstrates. The case of Eli’s iniquity is pointed out distinctly by this unknown man of God. It was, that he honoured his sons more than he honoured God. Let all parents beware of the sin of preferring the indulgence and gratification of their children to the honour and glory of God. Let them remember that the temptations to this sin are exceedingly strong, on account of the strength of parental affection; and it is an insidious evil, because it does not consist in any positive act, but in the mere neglect of our duty: and it is often connected with a kind and amiable disposition, which feels an insuperable reluctance to inflict pain on the persons beloved. But it is a fair trial of the state of the heart. It serves to show whether we love God or our children with supreme affection.

SECTION XXXIX.

JEHOVAH SPEAKS TO THE CHILD SAMUEL, AND REVEALS HIS PURPOSE IN REGARD TO ELI’S FAMILY — ELI’S HUBIBLE SUBMISSION.

About this time the instances of divine commnnications had become rare; “and there was no open vision.” Some time had elapsed since the anonymous prophet had been sent with God’s awful message to Eli; and yet no reformation had taken place in his sons; and it does not appear that he had become more faithful and decisive in the treatment of his sons, and probably the deep impression which the prophet’s words must have made upon his mind, was nearly obliterated, when it pleased God to send him another message by his young servant Samuel, who ministered unto the Lord before him. “And it came to pass, at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said. Here am I, for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again; and he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said. Here am I, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. And the Lord came and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel: then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth. And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin I will also make an end, for I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not. And, therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son, and he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I. pray thee hide it not from me. God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me, of all the things that he said unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said. It is the Lord, let him do what seemcth him good.” As the Lord is very merciful and repenteth him of the evil which he has intended and threatened, it cannot be doubted, that if Eli, upon the first divine warning, had immediately set himself to reform his house and to restrain his sons, or to put them out of the way of doing so much evil, the dreadful judgments denounced against his family would have been averted; for in such threatenings there is commonly an implied condition, that if the parties concerned repent and turn unto God with all their heart, their iniquities shall be forgiven. But when men persevere in transgression, there is a certain point beyond which mercy will not pursue them; when the Lord utterly refuses to hear any intercessions or accept any sacrifices or offerings in behalf of the guilty transgressor. There is a day of grace; and there is a time when, in just judgment, the things which make for peace are hidden from the eyes of men. Eli and his sons might have escaped from

these heavy judgments, if they had repented when the man of God was sent with the solemn admonition, which we have recorded above; but now, the day of grace was past. Now the purpose of God is irrevocably fixed, that his house shall not be purged, and that the threatened punishment shall fall upon him. The submission of Eli to the divine will in this matter is truly remarkable. He was conscious of his own ill-desert, and was convinced that he justly deserved to suffer all that had been threatened. He said not a word, therefore, in extenuation of his sin; nor did he complain of the severity of the divine wrath; nor ask that the awful curse should be averted or mitigated. He bows in submission to the divine will, and meekly says, “It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.” He knew that the Judge of all the earth would do right; and as he had revealed that his sin should not escape punishment, he sees nothing left for him but humble submission. There is a remarkable parallelism between the conduct of Eli and that of Aaron. Indeed, the resemblance between these two saints is very striking, and also between the calamities which befel them. Both were high-priests — both had irreligious sons, who, while they ministered at the altar, by their transgressions provoked Jehovah to cut them off; and it is probable that, in either case, the oldest of these young men, if he had lived, would have been advanced to the office of high-priest. When Nadab and Abihu were struck dead, “Aaron held his peace;” and Eli spoke, but only said, “It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.”

From the time that the Lord made himself known unto Samuel, when a child, he continued more and more to make communications unto him, until it was well understood from Dan even to Beer-sheba, “that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.” “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” “And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel bj the Word of the Lord.” And the word of Samuel was regarded by all Israel as a revelation from God; and he was respected and venerated as a prophet of the Lord.

SECTION XL.

THE ISRAELITES DEFEATED BY THE PHILISTINES — THE TWO SONS OF ELI SLAIN, AND

THE ARK TAKEN THE INTELLIGENCE OVERCOMES ELI, WHO FALLS BACK AND

BREAKS HIS NECK — THE WIFE OF PHINEHAS ALSO EXPIRES.

In this period a war occurred between the Israelites and their inveterate foes, the Philistines. The Israelites encamped in a place which afterwards received the name of Ebenezer, on account of a circumstance which shall hereafter be mentioned. The Philistines pitched not far off, in a place called Aphek. The contending armies soon joined battle, and Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. “When the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said. Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it coraeth among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” This was a very unlawful enterprise. The ark, when deposited in the tabernacle, was not to be removed, but by divine direction; and on this occasion, no prophet was consulted, and no inquiry was made of the Lord by Urim and Thummim, or by any other means; but a hasty resolution was formed in the camp, under the consternation produced by their recent defeat. Besides, it was a weak and superstitious opinion that the mere presence of the ark could save them from their enemies. If God was not on their side, in vain did they trust to the ark, which was, indeed, a symbol of the divine presence, but possessed no power whatever independent of God. Eli, to whom the care of the ark belonged, ought firmly and strenuously to have resisted this desecration of the ark of the covenant; but it was the weakness of this good man not to be able to oppose the will of others, even when it was evil. And his two wicked sons, who seem to have had the charge of the tabernacle and its sacred furniture, would be disposed to comply with the wishes of the people and the elders. Accordingly, they sent to Shiloh and brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims. Hophni and Phinehas accompanied the impious and mad expedition. “And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said. What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp, and they said, Wo unto us, for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Wo unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and quit yourselves like men, 0 ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Quit yourselves like men, and iight.” Battle was now joined, and again Israel was smitten, and the people fled to their tents, and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. The sad tidings of this disastrous defeat was brought to Shiloh by a man of Benjamin, who came the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. Eli, who was in great anxiety, had taken his seat by the wayside, watching; “for his heart trembled for the ark of God.” As soon as the tidings were heard, there arose a general cry of distress among the people, which, when Eli heard, he said, “What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim that he could not see.” And when he was informed that this man had come immediately from the camp, he said, “What is there done, my son? And the

messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people: and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from the seat backward, by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died; for he was an old man and heavy; and he had judged Israel forty years. And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings, that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said unto her. Fear not, for thou hast borne a son. But she answered npt, neither did she regard it. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.” And in her last moments she repeated what may be considered a sad prediction, “The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.”

SECTION XLI.

THE ARK CARRIED TO ASHDOD AND PLACED BY DAGON — THIS IDOL FALLS ON THE ELOOR, AND IS MUTILATED — THE PHILISTINES, AEFLICTED WITH DISEASE AND MICE, SEND BACK THE ARK.

The Philistines having got possession of the ark of God, brought it to Ashdod, and placed it in the temple of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. Next morning a remarkable thing was discovered by the inhabitants of Ashdod. “Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Damon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.”

However the lords of the Philistines might have triumphed, in consequence of the capture of the ark of the Lord, yet it now became an embarrassing question how they should dispose of it; for the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, causing them to be afflicted with a painful and troublesome disease; so that they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our God. They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said. What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction.” “Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron.” But the Ekronites, as soon as it arrived, cried out, saying, “They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.” And the men who did not die were afflicted with a very disagreeable disease; so that the cry of the city went up to heaven. The time of the continuance of the ark in the land of the Philistines was seven months.

In their perplexity, they “called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do -with the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass-offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. Then said they. What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? They answered. Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. Wherefore then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch-kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: and take the ark of the Lord and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.”

This advice of the priests and diviners was strictly followed; so they “took two milch-kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: and they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh. And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt-offering unto the Lord. And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices, the same day unto the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.” And the great stone, on

which the ark was set down, was called Abel; which stone was for a long time afterwards a noted object in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

It is a remarkable fact, that all the heathen who inhabited these regions seem to have been well acquainted with the history of the redemption of the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. The wonders then wrought had been widely reported, and had left a deep impression on the minds of the nations.

The judgments inflicted on the Philistines in consequence of the capture of the ark, seem to have been of three distinct kinds. First, upon their gods, as in the case of Dagon, who was horribly mutilated by the introduction of the ark of the Lord. This idol is said to have partaken of the form of a man and of a fish. The upper part was the head, body, and arms of a man, proceeding from the mouth of a monstrous fish, which was the inferior portion of the god.

The second judgment was a troublesome and shameful disease, on all classes of men, and by which multitudes were carried off.

The third was an army of mice, who devoured the fruits of the field. Such judgments have been experienced by other nations.

In the advice of the priests and diviners, with much that is superstitious and childish, we find some salutary counsel. They seem to have known that the God of Israel was the true God, and should be honoured; but they were for dividing this honour with their own deities. This is the grand error of Pagans, that they admit into their creed a multitude of gods. They have no objection to increasing the number of their deities, provided the new ones are not intolerant to the old. But the God of Israel is a jealous God, and will not share his glory with dumb idols.

But the men of Beth-shemesh, though they appertained to Israel, acted more irreverently towards the ark of the Lord than did the Philistines; for we do not read that the latter attempted to gratify their curiosity by raising the mystic lid which covered this sacred chest, but these men of Israel had the impious audacity to look into the ark of the Lord; and a large number of them were smitten of the Lord. There is probably some error here in the Hebrew copy, through the mistake of early transcribers. The number slain, as here recorded, is fifty thousand and three-score and ten men; which seems to be too many for a single city, on the very borders of the country. In other copies, instead of fifty, we have five thousand, which is a much more probable number. But as we know not the population of this city, the name of which signifies the house of the sun, wo cannot determine that the number in the Hebrew text may not be correct. If there were some hundreds of thousands of inhabitants in the town, as many as fifty thousand may have been smitten on account of their irreverent curiosity.

“And the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying. The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it to the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.”

SECTION XLII.

SAMUEL JUDGES ISRAEL — APPOINTS A DAY OF PUBLIC PRAYER AT MIZPEH — DE-FEATS THE PHILISTINES AT EBENEZEK.

Samuel’s reputation as a prophet being fully established through all Israel, he took upon himself to judge Israel. But suspecting that many of them were addicted to the worship of the gods of the heathen round about them, he addressed an exhortation to all Israel, saying, “If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.” This was a glorious reformation which now took place in Israel, by which idolatry was banished from the land; the people all bent to engage in the worship of Jehovah. The preaching of Samuel, so far as we are informed, was the only means employed in accomplishing this reformation.

Samuel finding that the people were now in a favourable state, wished to confirm their good impressions, and therefore appointed a general meeting of all the tribes at Mizpch, that he might engage in solemn prayer in their behalf. “And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there. We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.” From the time that the ark of the Lord was removed from Shiloh, that place, after having been the residence of Him who dwelt between the cherubim, for 284 HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITISH NATION.

several hundred years, appears to have been utterly abandoned; and we hear no more of it except when its utter desolation is incidentally mentioned. And as it was expedient to have some central place for the meeting of the tribes, Samuel seems to have selected Mizpeh for this purpose.

When the Philistines heard of this general assembly of the children of Israel at Mizpeh, they seem to have taken it for granted that the meeting had for its object a consultation respecting war, they, therefore, went up against Israel. “And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.” They remembered their recent defeat, and the disastrous circumstances which accompanied it; but they did not now impiously bring the ark into the camp, or trust to this external symbol, as they had before done. But being convened for solemn prayer and fasting, and having Samuel, a man mighty in prayer, in the midst of them, they besought him to intercede for them. “Cease not,” said they, “to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt-oifering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them until they came under .Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord, was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.” It may be remarked here, that when Israel sought the help of Jehovah, and put their trust in him, they were uniformly successful, whether their foes were many or few; but, on the other hand, when they trusted in an arm of flesh, or in their own devices, they were defeated by their enemies.

The influence of Samuel on this whole nation was great and salutary. Seldom has any individual been able to govern a populous nation so effectually, or to bring a whole people so unanimously to the worship of the true God. But this was accomplished entirely by moral means. Samuel had no other authority over the children of Israel than that which arose from their persuasion that lie was a prophet, and that his counsels and exhortation were dictated by the Spirit of God. His example also corresponded with his professions and office; and the po¥er which he had with God by prayer, was signally manifested on the occasion just mentioned, when he had scarcely done speaking, before the Lord thundered against the Philistines and put them to flight.

It may seem to be a departure from the law of Moses, that Samuel, who was not of the Aaronic family, should himself ofl’er sacrifices to God, and that this should be done, as it frequently was, by him, in other places than where the altar of God was stationed. The only satisfactory explanation of this is, that prophets, acting under the immediate inspiration of God, had the privilege of sacrificing independently of the priesthood, and wherever they happened to be; just as men inspired to preach, need not, as others, apply to men for ordination. So Paul received his commission as an apostle, from the hands of no men, but was sent by a commission immediately from God. Just so, Samuel, acting under the influence of a plenary inspiration, had a right to do in God’s worship whatever he was directed by the Holy Ghost to do; and also to perform ceremonies which others not inspired have no right to imitate. Thus we find this holy man not only offering a sucking lamb for a burnt-offering, but also pouring out water before the Lord. And in the sequel of the history we find him offering sacrifice at Ramah, when Saul was anointed, and at Beth-lehem when David was anointed.

Samuel continued all his life to judge Israel, and that he might perform his duty more effectually, he annually took a circuit, in which he had several important stations, where he met with the people. The principal of these were Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpeh; but his place of residence, when not on his circuit, was Ramah, where he had a house, and where also he exercised his ofiice of judge of Israel; and here, we are informed, “he built an altar to the Lord.” His conduct on this subject has already been explained, and it is unnecessary to repeat what was before said.

SECTION XLIII.

SAMUEL IN HIS OLD AGE ASSOCIATES HIS SONS AS JUDGES WITH HIMSELF — THEIR BAD

CHARACTER THE PEOPLE DEMAND A KING SAMUEL IS DISPLEASED — BUT GOD

DIRECTS HIM TO COMPLY, BUT TO EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF KINGLY GOVERNMENT

BY INSISTING ON A KING THEY REJECTED NOT SAMUEL BUT GOD — THE TENDENCY OF POWER TO ABUSE.

But when Samuel became old, not being able, as in the days of his vio’our, to transact all the judicial business which called for his attention, he associated his sons with him in this important trust. The names of his two sons were Joel and Abiah; and as he could not conveniently visit, in his judicial circuit, the southern part of Judea, he stationed them at Beer-sheba. But excellent as the example of Samuel was, both privately and officially, his sons did not follow it. Whether he, like Eli, was too indulgent to his children, and connived at their faults, we are not informed, and we cannot infer his negligence, from the fact that they turned out badly; for often the best education and the most faithful warnings are lost on the children of the pious. It is very natural, however, for parents to be blind to the failings of their children; and at least, it may be presumed, that Samuel was mistaken in thinking that these young men were qualified to be judges in Israel. But whether he could have known their character or not, the event proved, that in that very point in which judges should be strong in virtue, they were weak, for “they walked not in the ways of their father, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. This bad conduct was so notorious, “that all the elders of Israel gathered themselves togther, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him. Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” Here was indeed a most important proposal growing out of the mal-administration of these young men. The people had been well satisfied with the administration of Samuel himself, as is implied in the complaint brought against his sons. They did not hurt the old prophet’s feelings by exaggerating the misconduct of his sons, but merely said, “thy sons walk not in thy ways.” But why should they have desired a king? Undoubtedly, the thing was ill-advised, as appears by the judgment, not only of Samuel, but of God himself; but they were influenced by human policy: they saw no prospect of a righteous administration after the decease of Samuel; and they dreaded, it is probable, that miserable anarchy, by which their nation had so often been afflicted, since their settlement in Canaan; and they wished, therefore, to have a king, invested with absolute authority to keep the multitude in order. But besides these considerations, they were influenced by another motive, not so honourable to them, as the servants of Jehovah; they felt ashamed of the remarkable dissimilarity of their government to those of the surrounding nations. All these, however small, were governed by kings, who assumed great state, and went out with the people to war: but they appeared as a nation without a head, and doubtless this was a matter of reproach to them among the heathen, therefore they said, “Make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

This request seems to have come unexpectedly to Samuel, and he was far from being pleased with it. But he was a man who would judge nothing, and do nothing, without consulting the Lord. Therefore, before he gave any answer, he carried the important subject to a throne of grace by prayer. “And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done, since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now, therefore, hearken to their voice; howbeit, yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.” “And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said. This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen: and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and set them to ear his ground, and reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be coufectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that clay because of your king, which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samncl, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.”

Israel, the most highly favoured nation upon earth, was yet the most ungrateful and rebellious towards their God and King. Although they had for centuries been protected and delivered, by a succession of stupendous miracles, yet they distrusted the power and providence of God, and asked for a king, that they might be like the other nations.

Ve learn from this portion of sacred history, that God often grants those requests which are not pleasing in his sight: in just judgment, he permits people when they are bent on a particular course to pursue it. According to that of the Psalmist, when speaking of this very subject, “And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.”

From God’s description of a king, we learn that the tendency of power is to abuse. The principle of selfishness and pride is so strong in human nature, that it is to be expected, that he who is invested with absolute power over others, will exercise it for his own interest and gratification. Kings are commonly among the most corrupt of the human race; not because they are naturally worse than others, but because they are under fewer restraints, and are exposed to stronger temptations. This description of kingly power and injustice is in perfect accordance with the fact as it commonly exists. There may be a state of anarchy so miserable that even a king might be a blessing; or rather, the least of two evils; but any people capable of self-government are mad when they desire a king. The expenses of civil government had been scarcely felt before by the Israelites, but by the erection of a monarchy, they subjected themselves to a heavy burden of taxation.