sunt, sed dei ductu ignari in hostium potesta- | That dove's dung, though it be hotter than tem pervenerunt. Ergo iis parcendum est. ordinary, might in other respects be fitter Eandem hanc interpretationem etiam de for nourishment than other, as being made Wettius in vers. secutus est. Hic autem, of the best and purest grains, and having voci præmissum cum Gesenio Gr. ampl. some moisture in it, &c. Fourthly, That p. 754, min §. 122, 2, pro articulo habuisse this Hebrew word being of an obscure and videtur, nam ne verbulo quidem tetigit hanc doubtful signification, and no where else litteram, quum aliis in locis de mutata used, may be, and is by learned men, otherlectione soleat lectores admonere. Possitne wise rendered and understood; either, first vero per Patach ante N esse articulus, haud of the corn which is found in the crops of nihil ambigam. doves; or, secondly, of the guts and other inwards of doves; or rather, thirdly, of a

Ver. 23.

Au. Ver.-23 So the bands of Syria came sort of cicer [so Houb., Schulz., Dathe, no more into the land of Israel.

Bands.

Bp. Horsley.—Pillaging parties. Gesen.-T. 1. An incision, cutting. 2. A troop, band of warriors, (pp. a cutting in,) so called from the figure as intended to cut or break in upon the enemy, like Lat. acies; mostly of light-armed troops engaged in plundering and predatory incursions. Ver. 25.

Maurer, Clarke], or pease, which in the Arabic language (which is near akin to the Hebrew, and from which many words are explained) is called dove's dung; for this was a food much is use amongst the poorer Israelites, and was by all esteemed a very coarse food, and therefore fit to be joined with an ass's head; and a cab was the usual measure of all sorts of grains and fruits of that sort.

Bp. Patrick.-Fitches or lentiles.

Dr. A. Clarke.—The piece of silver was

וַיְהִי רָעָב גָּדוֹל בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן וְהִנֵּה צָרִים probably the drachm, worth about seren עָלֶיהָ עַד הֶיוֹת רֹאשׁ חֲמוֹר בִּשְׁמֹנִים whole amounting to about tree pounds nine כָּסֶף וְרָבַע הַקֶב חִרְיוֹנִים בַּחֲמִשָּׁה

רביונים קרי

καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας ἐν Σαμαρεία, καὶ, ἰδού περιεκάθηντο ἐπ ̓ αὐτὴν ἕως οὗ ἐγενήθη κεφαλὴ ὄνου πεντήκοντα ἀργυρίου, καὶ τέταρτον τοῦ κάβου κόπρον περιστερῶν πέντε ἀργυρίου. Au. Ver.-25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for four-score pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces

of silver.

pence three farthings of our money; the

two

shillings. The cab was about a quart or three pints.-Dove's dung, D. Whether this means pigeon's dung literally, or a kind of pulse, has been variously disputed by learned men. I shall content myself with asserting that it is probable a sort of pease are meant, which the Arabs to this day call by this name. "The garvanços, cicer, or chick pea," says Dr. Shaw, "has been taken for the pigeon's dung, mentioned in the siege of Samaria; and as the cicer is pointed at one end, and acquires an ash colour in parching, the first of which circumstances answers to the figure, the second to the usual colour of dove's dung, the supposition is by no means to be disregarded."

Pool.-Pieces of silver, supposed to be shekels; and the common shekel being valued at fifteen pence of English money, this amounts to five pounds [so Patrick]. A cab; a measure containing twenty-four I should not omit saying that dove's dung eggs [so Patrick]. Dove's dung; which is of great value in the East for its power in they used not for fire, (for he is speaking producing cucumbers, melons, &c., which has here only of the scarcity of food,) but for induced many learned men to take the food; which, if it seem incredible, it must words literally. Bochart has exhausted this be considered, first, That famine hath con- subject, and concludes that a kind of pulse is strained people to eat things as improper meant. Most learned men are of his and unfit for nourishment as this, as dry opinion. leather, and man's dung, as is implied Isaiah xxxvi. 12, and affirmed by grave historians. Secondly, that some creatures do usually eat the dung of others. Thirdly,

Ged., Booth.-The fourth part of a kab of vetches at five shekels of silver.

(cacavit הָרָא .r) חַרְאֵי יוֹנִים for חֲרֵי יוֹנִים-.Gesen

dove's dung [so Lee, Maurer], 2 K. vi. 25,

and as

Cheth. This may be taken literally; since the man, an infidel, and an idolater, and a it is not incredible that persons oppressed by wicked man, and at this time in a great rage, severe famine should devour even the ex- as appears from ver. 31. Or, they may be crements of animals; comp. Celsii Hierobot. rendered thus, No; (as this Hebrew particle ii., p. 32. Rosenmüller ad Bocharti Hieroz. is sometimes used, as Job xx. 17; Psal. ii., p. 573. Still, it is not improbable, that xxxiv. 5; xli. 2; 1. 3; Prov. iii. 3, 25; some kind of vegetable food is to be here xxxi. 4;) let the Lord help thee. So it understood; just as the Arabs call the herb may be taken, either, first, As a direction : Kali, sparrows' dung, hall; No; do not cry to me, but to God, for help: in Germ. asafoetida is called devils' dung; secondly, As a profane scoff: No, come not God help thee, for I cannot. Or rather, See Bochart Hieroz. ii., p. 580 sq. compared to me, but go to him to whom Elisha directs with Celsius 1. c. p. 233, who shows that Bochart was mistaken in affirming that you; pray to the Lord: you see how ready he is to help you, by his suffering you to among the Arabs, doves' or sparrows' dung come to this extremity; wait upon God for is a common epithet for chick peas or vetches relief, as Elisha adviseth me; but I will wait fried. In Keri 2 Kings 1. c. is a q. v. no longer for him, ver. 33, and I will take a Prof. Lee.-, for, followed by course with Elisha for thus abusing both me □, kethiv, 2 Kings vi. 25, r., pigeons' and my people with vain hopes. Or thus, dung; which, it is probable enough, might The Lord (on whom forsooth thou and I are have been sold as food during a close siege. commanded to wait for help) will not help Bochart, non minus probabile,—" says thee, as he could easily do, and would do, if Gesenius,―imagined that this was the name he were so good as Elisha pretends; whence of some vegetable, Hieroz. ii., lib. i., p. 31; then shall I help thee? Out of the barnwhich Celsius, Hierob. ii. 30, seq. has shown to be groundless. It might have occurred ask of me corn or wine, which I want for floor, or out of the wine-press? Dost thou both to Bochart and Gesenius, that it was myself? not very likely to get any sort of vegetable in a closely besieged city.

Houb.-, conjuncte. Quidam Co

-con הריונים separate ; alii הרי יונים,dices

juncte, cum uno. Porro inepte Masora D7, quasi honestius id esset, quam D, cum crederent significari stercus columbarum ; de quo non agitur, sed de ciceribus, ut multis probat Sam. Bochartus; qui ciceres vocabantur, stercus columbarum, quomodo nos Galli fungos quosdam agrestes nominamus, vesse de loup.

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, μὴ σὲ σώσαι κύριος, πόθεν σώσω σε; μὴ ἀπὸ ἅλωνος ἢ ἀπὸ ληνοῦ ;

Au. Ver.-27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee [or, let not the LORD save thee], whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress ?

Houb.-Ille autem, Dominus non dat tibi salutem: unde ego tibi salutem afferam ?

27: Clericus, turbam sequens, ne te servet...Jehova, et in Commentario suo, hoc est, te perdat Jehova. Importunam mulierem, quam putabat à se victum petere, quem norat sibi non esse, ejusmodi imprecatione à se amoliebatur." Sapientior, meo judicio, Syrus, qui cùm legeret, ne, id prætermisit, ne regem induceret mulieri fame oppressæ importune maledicentem. Neque enim crediderim eum legisse, proNo, illi, quanquam habet, illi; quia rò ↳ Tậ , non satis simile. Sed facile erat videre,

scriptum fuisse, ne, pro , non, quod legit Vulgatus, nec non Chaldaeus, qui S TPD, non te servat Dominus; nam parum fideliter Chaldæi Latinus Interpres, ni salvet te Dominus.

Maurer.] Interpretes recentiores ad unum omnes: ni Jova te servat, Pool. If the Lord do not help thee [so unde ego cet. Dolendum vero est, nunDathe], or, let not God help thee, as some quam significare nisi. Particula illa hic both ancient and late interpreters render the idem valet quod Gr. μn in propositionibus, words. So they are words of impatience, quas vocant, subjectivis, ut sensus sit : vereor and rage, and a formal curse, wishing that ut Deus te servet, μý σe σwσai kúpios LXX. God would not help her, as he could not, as Cf. Ps. xli. 3; L. 3; cxxi. 3; Cant. vii. 3, Josephus, amongst others, understand it; nisi mavis explicare: ne sc. me adeas prewhich agrees too well with the character of cibus tuis (cf. Ruth. i. 13)! Deus te servet!

VOL. II.

5 Y

Sed prior ratio haud dubie preferenda. | Eliseus domi sedebat, et senes sedebant cum Unde ego te potero servare ? num ex area an eo, et misit virum a conspectu suo, antequam e torculari? Postrema verba per acerbissi- veniret nuntius ad eum; ille autem dixit mam ironiam addita sunt a rege ad incitas re-senibus... Ordinem fuisse turbatum lectori dacto, cf. quæ sequuntur.

Ver. 31, 32.

diligentius consideranti perspicuum erit, ordinemque eum esse restituendum, quem nos in versione sequimur, ut postquam dixit Joram, non stabit caput Elisæi super ipsum,

ordinem, quem nunc habemus, tueri conawn is bitur, ex eo quæro, quid hæc sibi velint, et TÓN NO NE

22 - I

31 καὶ εἶπε, Τάδε ποιήσαι μοι ὁ Θεὸς καὶ τάδε προσθείη, εἰ στήσεται ἡ κεφαλὴ ̔Ελισαιέ ἐπ ̓ αὐτῷ σήμερον. 32 καὶ Ἑλισαιὲ ἐκάθητο ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἐκάθηντο μετ ̓ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἄνδρα πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ πρὶν ἐλθεῖν τὸν ἄγγελον πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ αὐτὸς εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους,

κ.τ.λ.

Au. Ver.-31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?

misit virum a conspectu suo, antequam ad

veniret ad eum nuntius. Elisæum liquet non
esse eum, qui mittat. Quod si rex est, qui
mittit, qui tandem mittere hominem dicitur,
antequam ille homo, qui idem est nuntius,
veniat ad Elisæum. Luce clarius est, τὸ
antequam pertinere ad Elisæum, qui sedebat
domi, antequam nuntius a rege missus ad-
veniret; itaque illud antequam, post sedebat,
esse collocandum, et hæc, quæ intercedunt,
misit hominem e conspectu suo, esse in supe-
rioribus locanda post D, sive ante .
Ordinis permiscendi occasionem habuerit
scriba in vocabulis duobus
nonnihil similibus, ut poneret r'n, et quæ
sequuntur usque ad, ubi scribendum
fuerat et duo verba subsequentia.
Græci Intt. pro v, legunt, ante se,
quasi Joram ad Elisæum postea esset ven-
turus; similiter Syrus, qui quidem, ut or-
dinem expediret, addidit conjunctionem ante
D, ut, esset, antequam autem, per-
tineretque ad ea, quæ subsequuntur;
quomodo et apud Vulgatum. Verum non

et en,

Bp. Horsley.-31, 32, "Then he said, quadrat in seriem, ubi sequitur God do so and more also to me, if the head, ille autem dixit... Quippe idem esset of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on ac si Latine diceres, antequam autem veniret him this day. And he sent a man from nuntius, ille autem dixit.

before him. 32 But Elisha was sitting in

his house, and the elders were sitting with

Ver. 33.

Pool. A man from before him, or, one of them who stood before his face, one of his guard, or some other officer, to take away his head, as it follows.

ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος μετ ̓ αὐτῶν, καὶ, ἰδοὺ, ἄγγελος κατέβη πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ εἶπεν, Ιδού, αὕτη ἡ κακία παρὰ Κυρίου· τί ὑπομείνω τῷ Kvpíw ễri ;

Houb.31 Dixit autem rex, Propetius sit mihi Deus, caput Elisæi, filii Saphat, hoc ipso die super eum non stabit. 32 Simul Au. Ver.-33 And while he yet talked misit hominem qui sibi adstabat. Interea with them, behold, the messenger came domi sedebat Elisaus, sedebantque una down unto him: and he said, Behold, this seniores, antequam satelles ad eum veniret. evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for Tum senioribus dixit, &c. the LORD any longer?

32 ...N: Sic habet hod. Contextus:

Ged. While he was yet talking with

them, lo! the king himself came down to him, and said: "Since from the Lord is all this evil, what have I, henceforth, to expect from the Lord ?"

King. All the copies and versions have messenger but it is an evident corruption, to me at least; and the true reading is king. So the author of Commentaries and Essays.

Dathe, Booth.-33 And while he was yet talking with them, the messenger came, and the king who had followed him, and he said,

Behold, &c.

Et rex qui eum secutus fuerat. Hæc sup

יָדוֹ אֶת־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמַר הִנֵּה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר הִפְכָה רֹאֶה בְּעֵינֶיךָ,sui poenitebat, nuncium illum, quem miserat יְהוָה עֹשֶׂה אֲרַבּוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם הֲיִהְיֶה plenda esse, et regem, quem fortasse jussi וּמִשָּׁם לֹא תֹּאכֵל:

esse subsecutum, apparet partim ex sequentibus verbis, quæ non possunt esse nisi ipsius regis, partim ex sequentis capitis septimi versu 17 et 18.-Dathe.

Houb.-33", et dixit, TM, nuntius. (Quid amplius Dominum expectem.) Εχ quibus verbis, colligere licet antea dixisse Elisæum, expectate Dominum, aut quid simile. Nescio cur Syri Latinus Interpres, dixit Elisaus, addito Elisaus; neque enim hæc verba conveniunt in Elisæum. Convenirent potius in regem, quam ejus in satellitem, . Atque haud scio an legendum, rex. Nam cum mox dixerit Elisæus, en sonitus pedum ejus post eum, apparet regem venisse ad Elisæum. Forte

, ויאמר et אליו quedam perierunt que inter

καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ τριστάτης, ἐφ ̓ ἂν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπανεπαύετο ἐπὶ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, τῷ Ελισαιέ, Kai eiñev, idov, toiýσeɩ kúpios Katapákтas év οὐρανῷ, μὴ ἔσται τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο; καὶ ̔Ελισαιὲ εἶπεν, ἰδοὺ, σὺ ὄψει τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, καὶ ekeilev oẻ þáyn.

Au. Ver.-2 Then a lord [Heb., a lord which belonged to the king leaning upon his hand, ch. v. 18] on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

Lord. See notes on Exod. xiv. 7, vol. i., p. 267.

The king, &c.

olim legerentur, quæque docerent, venisse ad Elisæum, post satellitem, ipsum regem, ut infra narratur vii. 17. Jusserat Elisæus, ne Houb.-, Regi. Legen, Rex. sinerent satellitem intrare; sic ut non vi- ut scriptum fuit manu priori in Codice Orat. deatur, satellitem potuisse adire ad Elisæum. 42. Aliter careret suo nominativo verbum Bp. Patrick.-33 Some imagine that the, innitebatur. Series Hebraica est talis: messenger being come, spake these words in Tribunus cujus rex innitebatur super manum the king's name; but it seems more reason- ejus, affixo posito, de more, post relativum. able to think the king, who was also come, Ita legunt Græci Intt. qui ó ßaotλeùs, Rex, spake them himself [so Bp. Horsley], in a..., en tu. Infrà, versu ultimo, ut fit of raging despair. He could not but fuerat hic scribendum. Littera finalis acknowledge that the Lord had brought circulo superno castigatur in Codicibus. them into this distress. Upon which Elisha Maurer.] et respondit præexhorted him to wait till he would please fectus triariorum, cujus manui rex inniti (who only could do it) to deliver them. solebat. pro leBut he impatiently answered, he had waited gendum puto, quam scripturam exhiso long in vain, that he had no hope left, bent plures et scripti et editi libri; dubito since they were driven to such extremity enim, num possit lamed in hoc tali contextu that women ate their own children. Or ante Nominativum poni. cf. Comm. ampl. in these words may be thus interpreted (taking Jos. p. 114, ubi locos, quos afferunt eruditi, the former part of them to be spoken by the expedivi omnes. Ceterum illi hujus commatis prophet, and the latter by the king), And he explicandi modo, quem 1. 1. sequutus sum said (that is, the prophet said), Acknowledge (et respondit præf. triar. regis, qui illius the hand of God in this evil, which comes manui innitebatur), præter locum parallelum

vs. 17, id potissimum obstat, quod caret | Au. Ver.-6 For the LORD had made the

2. The vital spirit, vxn, anima, through bib bin a big which the body lives, i. e., the principle of

וַאֲדֹנָי הִשְׁמִיעַוּ אֶת־מַחֲנֵה אֲרָם קוֹל גָּדוֹל וַיֹּאמְרוּ רֶכֶב וְקוֹל סוּס שָׂכַר עָלֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ

, רוּחַ .life manifested in the breath, comp אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו principle, animal spirit. Hence it is very יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מַלְכֵי הַחִתִּים וגו

καὶ κύριος ἀκουστὴν ἐποίησε παρεμβολὴν τὴν frequent in phrases which have respect to Συρίας φωνὴν ἅρματος καὶ φωνὴν ἵππου, the losing or preserving of life: a) p Pwvηv dvváμews μeyádŋs' kai eitev ȧvηp πрòs for life, i. e., in order to save one's life, τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, Νῦν ἐμισθώσατο ἐφ' ἡμᾶς 1 Kings xix. 3; 2 Kings vii. 7. Comp. ὁ Βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς βασιλέας τῶν Χετ- Gr. τρέχειν περὶ ψυχῆς Od. 9, 423. Valk. ταίων, κ.τ.λ. | ad Hdot. vii. 56; ix. 36; and so (of a hare)