ornament, it is more regular and constant than any other poetry whatever; that it has, for the most part, a set of images appropriated in a manner to the explication of certain subjects. Thus you will find, in many other places beside this before us, that cedars of Libanus and oaks of Basan are used, in the way of metaphor and allegory, for kings, princes, potentates, of the highest rank; high mountains and lofty bills, for kingdoms, republics, states, cities ; towers and fortresses, for defenders and protectors, whether by counsel or strength, in peace or war; ships of Tarshish, and works of art and invention employed in adorning them, for merchants, men enriched by commerce, and abounding in all the luxuries and elegancies of life; such as those of Tyre and Sidon: for it appears from the course of the whole passage, and from the train of ideas, that the fortresses and the ships are to be taken metaphorically, as well as the high trees and the lofty mountains. Ships of Tarshish are in Scripture frequently used by a metonymy for ships in general, especially such as are employed in carrying on traffic between distant countries; as Tarshish was the most celebrated mart of those times, frequented of old by the Phenicians, and the principal source of wealth to Judea and the neighbouring countries. The learned seem now to be perfectly well agreed, that Tarshish is Tartessus, a city of Spain, at the mouth of the river Bætis; whence the Phenicians, who first opened this trade, brought silver and gold, (Jer. x. 9. Ezek. xxvii. 12.) in which that country then abounded; and pursuing their voyage still farther to the Cassiterides, (Bochart. Canaan, I. cap. 39. Heut, Hist. de Commerce, p. 194.) the islands of Scilly and Cornwall, they brought from thence lead and tin. Tarshish is celebrated in Scripture, (2 Chron. viii. 17, 18. ix. 21.) for the trade which Solomon carried on thither, in conjunction with the Tyrians. Jehosaphat (1 Kings xxii. 48. 2 Chron. xx. 36.) attempted afterward to renew that trade; and from the account given of his attempt it appears, that his fleet was to sail from Eziongeber on the Red Sea: they must therefore have designed to sail round Africa, as Solomon's fleet probably had done before; (see Heut, Histoire de Commerce, p. 32.) for it was a three years' voyage; (2 Chron. ix. 21.) and they brought gold from Ophir, probably on the coast of Arabia, silver from Tartessus, and ivory, apes, and peacocks, from Africa. ", Afri, Africa, the Roman termination, Africa terra. VWN, some city, or country, in Africa. So Chald. on 1 Kings xxii. 49, where he renders by ; and compare 2 Chron. xx. 36. from whence it appears, that to go to Ophir and to Tarshish is one and the same thing." Dr. JUBB. It is certain, that under Pharaoh Necho, about two hundred years afterward, this voyage was made by the Egyptians. (Herodot. iv. 42.) They sailed from the Red Sea, and returned by the Mediterranean, and they performed it in three years; just the same time that the voyage under Solomon had taken up. It appears likewise from Pliny, (Nat. Hist. ii. 67.) that the passage round the Cape of Good Hope was known and frequently practised before his time; by Hanno the Carthaginian, when Carthage was in its glory; by one Eudoxus, in the time of Ptolemy Lathyrus king of Egypt; and Cælius Antipater, a historian of good credit, somewhat earlier than Pliny, testifies, that he had seen a merchant, who had made the voyage from Gades to Æthiopia. The Portuguese under Vasco de Gama, near three hundred years ago, recovered this navigation, after it had been intermitted and lost for many centuries. 18.-shall disappear] The ancient versions, and an ancient MS. read , plural. 66 19–21. into caverns of rocks—] The country of Judea, being mountainous and rocky, is full of caverns; as it appears from the history of David's persecution under Saul. At Engedi, in particular, there was a cave so large, that David with six hundred men hid themselves in the sides of it; and Sanl entered the mouth of the cave without perceiving that any one was there. (1 Sam. xxiv.) Josephus (Antiq. Lib. xiv. cap. 15. and Bell. Jud. Lib. i. cap. 16.) tells us of a numerons gang of banditti, who having infested the country, and being pursued by Herod with his army, retired into certain caverns, almost inaccessible, near Arbela in Galilee, where they were with great difficulty subdued. Some of these were natural, others artificial. Beyond Damascus," says Strabo, Lib. xvi. "are two mountains called Trachones [from which the country has the name of Trachonitis]: and from hence, towards Arabia and Iturea, are certain rugged mountains, in which there are deep caverns; one of which will hold four thousand men." Tavernier (Voyage de Perse, part. ii. ch. 4.) speaks of a grot, between Aleppo and Bir, that would hold near three thousand horse. "Three hours distant from Sidon, about a mile from the sea, there runs along a high rocky mountain; in the sides of which are hewn a multitude of grots, all very little differing from each other. They have entrances about two feet square: on the inside you find in most or all of them a room of about four yards square. There are of these subterraneous caverns two hundred in number. It may, with probability at least, be concluded, that these places were contrived for the use of the living, and not of the dead. Strabo describes the habitations of the Troglodyte to have been somewhat of this kind.” Maundrell, p. 118. The Horites, who'dwelt in mount Seir, were Troglodytes, as their name imports. But those mentioned by Strabo were on each side of the Arabian Gulf. Mohammed (Koran, chap. xv. and xxvi.) speaks of a tribe of Arabians, the tribe of Thamud, “ who hewed houses out of the mountains, to secure themselves." Thus, "because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds." (Judges vi. 2.) To these they betook themselves for refuge in times of distress, and hostile invasion: "When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits." (1 Sam. xiii. 6. and see Jer. xli. 9.) Therefore" to enter into the rock; to go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth," was to them a very proper and familiar image to express terror and consternation. The prophet Hosea hath carried the same image farther, and added great strength and spirit to it: "They shall say to the mountains, Cover us; And to the hills, Fall on us." Hos. x. 8. Which image, together with these of Isaiah, is adopted by the sublime · author of the Revelation, (chap. vi. 15, 16.) who frequently borrows his imagery from our prophet. 20. —which they have made to worship—] The word 1, for himself, is omitted by an ancient MS., and is unnecessary. It does not appear, that any copy of LXX has it, except MS. Pachom. and MS. 1. D. 11. and they have tavros, □, plural. Ibid. —to the moles—] They shall carry their idols with them into the dark caverns, old ruins, or desolate places, to which they shall flee for refuge; and so shall give them up, and relinquish them to the filthy animals that frequent such places, and have taken possession of them as their proper habitation. Bellonius, Greaves, P. Lucas, and many other travellers, speak of bats of an enormous size, as inhabiting the Great Pyramid. See Harmer, Observ. vol. ii. 455. Three MSS. express the moles, as one word. CHAP. III. 66 1. Every stay and support.-] Heb. " the support masculine, and the support feminine :" that is, every kind of support, whether great or small, strong or weak. “Al kanitz, wal-kanitzah; the wild beast, male and female. Proverbially applied both to fishing and hunting: i. e. I seized the prey, great or little, good or bad. From hence, as Schultens observes, is explained Isaiah iii. 1. literally, the male and female stay; i. e. the strong and weak, the great and small." Chappelow, note on Hariri, Assembly I. Compare Eccles. ii. 8. The two following verses, 2, 3. are very clearly explained by the sacred historian's account of the event, the captivity of Jehoiachin by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon: "And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.” 2 Kings xxiv. 14. 4. I will make boys their princes-] This also was fully accomplished in the succession of weak and wicked princes, from the death of Josiah to the destruction of the city and temple, and the taking of Zedekiah, the last of them, by Nebuchadnezzar. 6. —of his father's house.] For , the ancient interpreters seem to have read : TOV OIKELOV TOν яатρоç аνтоv: LXX. domesticum patris sui: Vulg. which gives no good sense. (But LXX, MS. 1. D. 11. for οικείου, has okov.) And, his brother, of his father's house, is little better than a tautology. The case seems to require, that the man should apply to a person of some sort of rank and eminence; one that was the head of his father's house; (see Josh. xxii. 14.) whether of the house of him who applies to him, or of any other; VAN M'A UN. I cannot help suspecting, therefore, that the word has been lost out of the text. Ibid. — saying] Before, garment, two MSS. (one ancient) and the Babylonish Talmud, have the word : and so LXX, Vulg. Syr. Chald. I place it, with Houbigant, after . Ibid. take by the garment.] That is, shall entreat him in an humble and supplicating manner. "Ten men shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew; saying, Let us go with you; for we have heard that God is with you." Zech. viii. 23. And so in Isaiah, chap. iv. 1. the same ges ture is used to express earnest and humble entreaty. The behaviour of Saul towards Samuel was of the same kind, when he laid hold on the skirt of his raiment: 1 Sam. xv. 27. The preceding and following verses shew, that his whole deportment, in regard to the prophet, was full of submission and humility. Ibid. And let thy hand support-] Before Tл, à MS. adds which latter תקח בידך another MS. adds in the same place ; תהיה seems to be a various reading of the two preceding words, making a very good sense; "take into thy hand our ruinous state." Twenty-one MSS. and three editions, and the Babylonish Talmud, have, plural. 7. Then shall he openly declare-] The LXX, Syr, and Jerom. read X, adding the conjunction; which seems necessary in this place. Ibid. For in my house is neither bread nor raiment.] "It is customary through all the east," says Sir J. Chardin, "to gather together an immense quantity of furniture and clothes; for their fashions never alter." Princes and great men are obliged to have a great stock of such things in readiness for presents upon all occasions. "The kings of Persia," says the same author, "have great wardrobes, where there are always many hundreds of habits ready, designed for presents, and sorted." Harmer, Observ. ii. 11. and 88. A great quantity of provision for the table was equally necessary. The daily provision for Solomon's household, whose attendants were exceedingly numerous, was proportionably great. 1 Kings iv. 22. 23. Even Nehemiah, in his strait circumstances, had a large supply daily for his table; at which were received a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came from among the neighbouring heathens. Neh. v. 17, 18. This explains the meaning of the excuse made by him that is desired to undertake the government: he alleges, that he has not wherewithal to support the dignity of the station, by such acts of liberality and hospitality as the law of custom required of persons of superior rank. See Harmer's Observations, i. 340. ii. 88. 1.-the cloud] This word appears to be of very doubtful form, from the printed editions, the MSS., and the ancient versions. The first jod in, which is necessary according to the common interpretation, is in many of them omitted: the two last letters are upon a rasure in two MSS. I think it should be y, as the Syriac reads; and that the allusion is to the cloud, in which the glory of the Lord appeared above the tabernacle; see Exod. xvi. 9, 10. xl. 34–38. Numb. xvi. 41, 42. 10. Pronounce ye-] The reading of this verse is very dubious. The כי לא טוב לנו and :אמרו נאסר,or both ; נאסר read אמרו LXX for Δησωμεν τον δικαιον, ότι δυσχρηστος ἡμιν εστι. Perhaps, for 1988, the true reading may be, bless ye: or N TN, say ye, blessed is Vulg. and an ancient MS. read, in the singular number,, comedet. 12. Pervert] w, swallow. Among many unsatisfactory methods of accounting for the unusual meaning of this word in this place, I choose Jarchi's explication, as making the best sense. "Read, confound. Syr." Dr. JUBB. "Read, disturb, or trouble." SECKER. So LXX. 13. his people] y, LXX. 14. my vineyard] D, LXX, Chald. Jerom. 15. And grind the faces] The expression and the image is strong, to denote grievous oppression; but is exceeded by the prophet Micah : "Hear, I pray you, ye chiefs of Jacob; And their bones they dash in pieces; And chop them asunder, as morsels for the pot; And as the flesh thrown into the midst of the caldron." Micab iii. 1-3. In the last line but one, for W, read, by the transposition of a letter, NW, with the LXX, and Chald. 16. And falsely setting off their eyes with paint] Heb. falsifying their eyes. I take this to be the true meaning and literal rendering of the word; from p. The Masoretes have pointed it, as if it were from pw, a different word. This arose, as I imagine, from their supposing that the word was the same with PD, Chald. intueri, innuere oculis; or that it had an affinity with the noun D, which the Chaldeans, or the Rabbins at least, use for stibium, the mineral which was commonly used in colouring the eyes. See Jarchi's Comment on the place. Though the colouring of the eyes with stibium be not particularly here expressed, yet I suppose it to be implied; and so the Chaldee paraphrase explains it: "stibio linitis oculis." This fashion seems to have prevailed very generally among the eastern people in ancient times; and they retain the very same to this day. Pietro della Valle, giving a description of his wife, an Assyrian lady, born in Mesopotamia, and educated at Baghdad, whom he married in that country, (Viaggi, tom. i. Lettera 17.) says, " Her eyelashes, which are long, and, according to the custom of the east, dressed with stibium, as we often read in the holy Scriptures of the Hebrew women of old, (Jer. iv. 30. Ezek. xxiii. 40.) and in Xenophon of Astyages the grandfather of Cyrus, and of the Medes of that time, (Cyropæd. lib. i.) give a dark, and at the same time a majestic shade to the eyes." "Great eyes," says Sandys, Travels, p. 67. speaking of the Turkish women," they have in principal repute; and of those the blacker they be, the more amiable: insomuch that they put between the eyelids and the eye a certain black power, with a fine long pencil, made of a mineral brought from the kingdom of Fez, and called Alcohole; which by the not disagreeable staining of the lids, doth better set forth the whiteness of the eye; and though it be troublesome for a time, yet it comforteth the sight, and repelleth ill humours." "Vis ejus [stibii] astringere ac refrigerare, principalis autem circa oculos; namque ideo etiam plerique Platyophthalmon id appellavere, quoniam in calliblepharis mulierum dilatat oculos; et fluxiones inhibet oculorum exulcerationesque." Plin. Nat. Hist. xxxiii. 6. But "Ille supercilium madida fuligine tinctum Juv. Sat. II. 92. none of those [Moorish] ladies,” says Dr. Shaw, (Travels, p. 294. |