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Now, as he well knew David would not comply with these conditions, this was saying, in effect, David shall not come here at all. But David took the fortified post of Zion, which was on the hill adjacent: and THAT became the city of David, instead of Jerusalem, which he had at first designed. And David said, in that very day, when he determined to render Zion his royal seat, every degradation shall attend the Jebusite, and he shall labour in the drain of my royal building: even his blind men, and lame men, for all his people are but blind and lame, who hold David's person in aversion, and have refused bis intended royal favour: accordingly, as they say, the blind man, the lame man shall not enter into THE house, meaning their sacred temple, so I say, they shall not enter my house, my royal palace, with honour; but shall serve in the impure parts, the discharge of what is offensive in it. So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David, &c. It seems, then, that David was so offended with the refusal of the Jebusite, who considered him; for possibly he had been himself wounded in some encounter with his enemies; and his men as not good enough, too impure to inhabit their city, which city David probably knew was appointed to be the metropolis of Judea; that he employed these haughty persons in the lowest offices of his palace, now become their rival and their superior. That house means temple, vide 2 Sam. vii. 6; 1 Kings, vi. 22; 2 Kings, x. 21; xii. 12; xiii. 27. et al.

The reader will observe the counterpart, or parallelism of the sentence and sentiments, as maintained

in this version.

This view of the passage, I believe, is entirely new: the difficulty of rendering it, which is allowed by all translators, must apologize for this attempt, to direct its meaning into this channel.

VERSES 23, 24.

When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry-trees. The mulberry-tree is well known among us. Pliny calls it "the wisest of trees; because it is the last of domestic trees which shoots out its buds, and does not display its flowers, till the cold weather be entirely over." But there are doubts whether the mulberry-tree was known in Syria, so early as the days of David; and the word baka, becaim, has been taken rather to signify moist vallies, than trees. In 1 Chron. xiv. 15. the LXX

render it aw, pear-trees; as Aquila does in the place before us: and the Vulgate, both here and in Chronicles. But, what is meant by the voice, or sound of going in the head of these trees? If these trees were near to David, why in their tops, or head? If they were distant from him, how could he distinguish the place of this sound? These objections are proposed by those who observe, that he might distinguish a sound from the head, or further part of a valley; and, that it is perfectly analogous to the mode of Eastern warfare, to creep along any concealment, ravine, or hollow way, in order to attack the enemy at unawares.

Is there any allusion in this sound of going, to a breeze of wind? Perhaps, the morning breeze, which, by shaking the tops of the trees, might produce a sound. In which case, the direction would be equivalent to "when the breeze blows stiffly, then attack the enemy." the enemy." The usual idea, is that of thunder; but this implies a distance; for thunder near at hand must needs seem to come from above, from the tops of trees, not from their roots. Nevertheless, thunder at the head of distant moist vallies is not unlikely: but then this dismisses the mulberry-trees.

CHAPTER VI. VERSE 5.

"And David, and all the house of Israel, played before the Lord, on all manner of woods of Brushim." It is clear that this passage refers to musical instruments; and probably this word denotes that kind of wood which is most proper to form musical instruments; it is generally rendered fir wood; and this may be its meaning: but the word being plural, seems to include more. I doubt even, whether it does not mean an instrument of music, for such seems to be the connection; playing before the Lord upon all woods, on [] rushim and on cinnaruth, &c. where the connecting and, i, seems to have some force. Otherwise, the instruments are, 1st, The cinnoruth, harps. 2d, Nebalim, another kind of harp, rendered in our version psaltery. 3d, Tophim, timbrels, or tympani, the modern diff of the East. 4th, Menonoim, cornets. [I suspect we want information on this instrument.] Tjelljelim, cymbals; but some think this was the sistrum, an Egyptian instrument formed of wires.

As figures of these instruments are given in the third vol. FRAGMENT, No. 231, &c. we shall not enlarge on them here.

It is worth observing, on this word berosh, how contradictorily the Lxx have rendered this word, for want of established principles of natural history. In this place, they put cypress: in Isai. xxxvii. 24; lv. 15; lx. 13. pitun. Ezek. xxxi. 8; Zech, xi. 2. peuken. 1 Kings, v. 8, 10; ix. 11; vi. 15. elaten, fir. Isai. xli. 19. myrtle. Hosea xii. 9; 2 Chron. ii. 18. juniper. The Vulgate, in fourteen places, reads fir;

in our text, fabrefacta; 2 Chron. ii. 8. arcenthina. signed by similar estimation, vide FRAGMENT, No. Nahum ii. 4. agilatores.

The Chaldee reads fir constantly; and most interpreters follow him: it is likely this writer should be as well acquainted with this subject, as any foreign translator.

CHAPTER XII. VERSE 30.

And David took their king's crown from off his head; the weight thereof was a talent of gold, with the precious stones; and it was set on David's head. The great weight of this crown, renders it impossible to have been worn by any king in the world: what it was, what was the precious stone, not stones, plural, and what was set on David's head, see, conjectured, in Dictionary, vol. i. art. CROWN; and in FRAGMENT, No. 282. The talent of gold weighed 114 lbs.

CHAPTER XIV. VERSE 26.

The weight of Absalom's hair, says Scheuzer, is one of the most difficult passages of Scripture. This difficulty is by no means lessened in our translation, which renders, and when he polled his head, for at EVERY YEAR'S END he polled it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight. Here we should consider, that the original does not say, at every year's end, but at the end of days, to the time he polled it, meaning, after a period of time and if we examine the scope of the place, we shall see, I apprehend, the reason of putting this remark in this place. Suppose Absalom had brought himself under a vow, to let his hair grow, at the time when his sister Tamar was injured. This would make nearly six years' growth: nay, if he had let it grow only after he had killed Amnon, it would be three years; and it should seem, that he polled it on being returned to Jerusalem again: for such probably is the connection of the passage, verse 23. Joab brought Absalom to Jerusalem; Absalom returned to his house; Absalom polled his hair. Having therefore worn his hair, apparently neglected, as a kind of mourning during his absence; on his return, he resumed his apparent affection for it, and care of it. To complete this solution, we may add, that not the absolute weight, but the value, is meant by the 200 shekels.

The value of his hair, arising from its beauty, was 200 royal shekels. This hair seems to be mentioned as an instance of personal beauty, not personal strength to produce, or to bear, such a quantity of hair; now, the colour of it, or the fineness of it, might add much to its value, though not to its weight. Moreover, against the usual idea that the weight of his hair was 200 shekels, we ought to recollect, that it was not his whole head of hair, but the pollings, or quantity taken from his head, that he thus estimated. For other instances, wherein value, not weight, is de

150.

CHAPTER XVII. VERSE 8.

Thy father and his men are chafed in their minds, as a bear bereaved of her whelps. It is something singular that the bear is generally masculine in the Hebrew for instance, this passage does not refer, in the original, to a female bear, but to a male; and might be rendered, like a male bear bereaved, i.e. of his mate. The same may be said of the passages, where a similar comparison is mentioned, Prov. xvii. 12. "Let a man meet a bear bereaved, rather than a fool in his folly." Hosea, xiii. 8. "I will come upon between the affection of a she bear for her young, and them as a bear bereaved." The reader will choose

that of a he bear for his female. "The she bear is intensely fond of her young, and is dreadfully furious when deprived of them: in fact, she ventures her life to avenge her loss:" on the other hand, "the male is extremely formidable in the season of accompanying the female, which, perhaps, is owing to jealousy," Brokes's Nat. Hist. vol. i. Now, this disposition must be proportionately increased, if, during this season, he should be deprived of his partner. The passage where we read, that two she bears tare forty-two children, though it leads to the notion. of their being females more strongly than any other passage, yet is in the masculine. I would therefore query, whether there might not be an anomaly of language in the Hebrew, as among ourselves, who, at first mention, usually call a cat, she, though it may prove to be a male; as we call an animal of the canine kind, a dog, though it be really a bitch; nor do we always discriminate between a duck and a drake, but say a number of ducks; or a goose and a gander, but say a number of geese: whereby we include both sexes under the name of one: so a mare is a horse, though a horse is not a mare; and certain naturalists, reckon the bull, under the cow kind; as they reckon the hind a female stag. I suppose the current idiom of all languages has somewhat of this imperfection: so that we may still continue to reckon the bears of these passages as females, if the construction require it, though the words be really masculine.

VERSE 28.

"David being come to Mahanaim, Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai brought, 1st, beds, mesheceb; and 2d, basins, sephut; and 3d, earthen vessels, cali iutjer; and 4th, wheat, chittim; and 5th, barley, shoarim; and 6th, flour, kemach; and 7th, parched corn, kali, and 8th, beans, pul; and 9th, lentils, odeshim; and 10th, parched pulse, kali; and 11th, honey, dabash; and 12th, butter, chemah; and 13th, sheep, tjon; and 14th, cheese of kine, shephut bekar.

1st, Beds. This is a word of large signification, and denotes whatever is laid down in: whether these beds were of the litter kind, or somewhat like our settees.

2d, Basins, sephut. I suppose there was sufficient distinction between the sephut of this passage, and the sephel of Judges v. 25. [vide on Judges vi. 19.] but, that each is a deep, capacious bowl, implying concavity, is unquestionable: it is probable, however, that the "lordly dish" of Jael, was of metal, and handsomely embossed; while the basins of the present article were merely wooden bowls, such as the Arabs still use for kneading their bread in, and afterward eating out of. This is only conjecture.

3d, Earthen vessels, cali iutjer. We have elsewhere [vide Supplement to CALMET, articles SIN, SINNER] considered cali, as denoting a beautiful vase, a vase embossed, embellished, and painted; whether we ought to attach this meaning to it here, depends on the connection of it with the foregoing articles, and what we may suppose to have been their application. The beds could not be for the whole army; beds for some thousands of soldiers! they could only be for the king, and his retinue; the basins, if of the nature we have hinted at, magnificent and capacious, were for the royal service, not for the host at large if so, these cali, vases, were of the nature of our china, not coarse earthen ware; they also were for the king's use; and consequently cali may here, as well as in Eccl. ix. 18. signify a beautiful, no less than an useful vase; a vase carefully finished by the hands of the potter: the words might be rendered, literally, vases of form, or of the former. The reference of this, to the antiquity of ornamental china, and to the practice of such an art, perhaps, not confined to one country, cannot escape the reader's notice.

4th, Wheat, chittim. This word is plural here, signifying several sorts of wheat: which has led Scheuzer to say, "it comprehended anciently all sorts of beaten corn, cleansed from impurities."

I rather doubt this, however, because barley, which is a kind of corn, follows directly after. It is probable, that the ancients attributed to wheat, a delicacy, a delicate fatness, which may account for the mention of it, in a manner not usual, Deut. xxxii. 14. "Butter of kine, milk of sheep, fat of lambs, rams, goats, kidney fat of wheat, pure wine;" or, if we read with Dr. Geddes, "kidney fat and wheat," it is evident, that not merely delicacy, but delicate plumpness, or fatness, is the general character of the subjects particularized; and that wheat is understood to be so far of the same character, as to be properly associated with them.

5th, Barley, shorim: the hairy grain.

7th, Parched corn, kali. This word, kali, occurs again below, and is rendered by our translators, parched pulse. That there was a distinction between the subjects parched; or, in the manner of parching, is very likely. The reader will find, on Matth. xxiv. 41. two ways of parching corn, described by Mr. Pennant, who informs us, that it is an expeditious mode of preparing corn for food: perhaps, this recommended it, on the present occasion. Parched corn, however, is a kind of food still retained in the East, for so Hasselquist informs us. for so Hasselquist informs us. "On the road from Acre to Seide, we saw a herdsman eating his dinner, consisting of half ripe ears of wheat, which he roasted, and ate with as good an appetite as a Turk does his pillau. In Egypt such food is much eaten by the poor, being the ears of maize, or Turkish wheat, and of their durra, which is a kind of millet. When this food was first invented, art was in a simple state; yet the custom is still continued in some nations, where the inhabitants have not even at this time learned to pamper nature."

8th, Beans, pul. Dr. Shaw says, "beans, after they are boiled and stewed with oil and garlick, are the principal food of persons of all distinctions."

9th, Lentils, odeshim. The lentil is reckoned among pulse; and is, indeed, a kind of bean. We find Esau longing for a mess of pottage made of lentils, Gen. xxv. 34. Augustin, in Psalm xlvi. says, "lentils are used as food in Egypt, for this plant grows abundantly in that country; which is what renders the lentils of Alexandria so valuable, that they are brought from thence to us, as if none were grown among us." Lentils, however, were little esteemed by the Romans, who ranked them below that species of grain, from which they made a kind of beer, the alica. Accipe Niliacum Pelusia munera lentem;

Vilior est alica, carior illa faba.

But in Barbary, Dr. Shaw says, "lentils are dressed in the same manner as beans, dissolving easily into a mass, and making a pottage of a chocolate colour. This we find was the red pottage which Esau, from thence called Edom,, red, Gen. xxxv. 30. exchanged for his birthright.

10th, Parched pulse, kali. The repetition of this word here, after food of the pulse kind, seems strongly to support the propriety of our public version; the first kali placed after the corn, wheat, barley, flour, kali, may mean an additional quantity of the proper kinds of these parched: so here being placed after the pulse, it may imply an additional quantity of the proper kinds of pulse, parched also, i.e. some ready for instant eating, other in store.

The Vulgate renders this kali, frixum, cicer; now Dr. Shaw informs us, that the cicer, garvanços, or chickpea, which is a kind of tare, are in the greatest

6th, Flour, kemach, i.e. corn reduced to powder by repute after they are PARCHED in pans, or ovens, then grinding.

receiving the name of leblebby. This seems to be of

the greatest antiquity, for Plautus speaks of it as a Now, if we accept the idea of sheep cheese, for that thing very common in his time:

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11th, Honey, debash.

12th, Butter, chemah. Butter is the unctuous part of milk, collected together apart from the whey. This is effected in the East, by shaking the milk in a skin bottle, and pressing it. Hasselquist says, "they made butter in a leather bag, hung on three poles erected for the purpose, united at top in the form of a cone, by swinging it to and fro by strength of arm." The heat of the climate in the East, does not suffer their butter to become solid like ours, but it is eaten quickly after it is made.

13th, Sheep, tjon. That the import of this word is sheep, in general, is admitted; but, in this passage, it seems rather extraordinary that sheep should be the only living animal mentioned, and that between butter of kine, and cheese of kine also. Is it not rather likely, that some kind of food, prepared from the sheep, is the article here intended? for instance, cheese made of sheep's milk, for so Dr. Shaw informs us, p. 241. folio edition; "the sheep and the goats contribute also to the dairies of this country, it being CHIEFLY of their milk that the Moors and Arabs make CHEESE. Instead of runnet, they make use, in the summer season, particularly, of the flowers of the great headed thistle, or wild artichoke, to turn the milk; putting the curds, thus made, into small baskets of rushes, or palmetta, and binding them afterward and pressing them. I have rarely seen any of these cheeses above two or three pounds weight, being usually of the shape and size of a penny loaf; such, perhaps, as we may suppose those ten to have been which David carried with other provisions to the camp of Saul, 1 Sam. xvii. 18. They have no other method of making butter than by putting their milk or cream into a goat's skin, which being suspended from one side of the tent to the other, and pressed to and fro in one uniform direction, quickly occasions that separation which is required of the unctuous and wheyey parts." Compare Prov. xxx. 33.

of this word in our text, we see the reason why the distinctive description, cheese of kine, is attached to the following word; at the same time, we maintain the uniformity of subjects in the passage: "butter of kine, cheese of sheep, cheese of kine." Vide on 1 Sam. xxv. 18.

14th, Cheese of kine, shephut bekar. We have just seen Dr. Shaw's notion of the cheeses sent by David; which we ought to observe, are described in the original by another word, nn 'n chrutji kecheleb, signifying strictly, "cuttings off of milk;" or rather, "separations of milk," lumps of coagulated milk; the soft, tender curd, curd recently set. I suppose, after what we have seen in Dr. Shaw, we may consider the new cheese, or Bath cheese, of our own markets, as the nearest approach to them, in substance, though not in shape. Now, if the cheeses sent by David were thus soft and tender, we may possibly see the reason why cheese made for keeping is described by another word in this passage; and if we consider the former word, as denoting cheese made of sheep's milk, which is hard and durable, it coincides with the notion, that this shephut was hard and durable, also perhaps our Cheshire cheeses may be compared to it, in general properties, while in shape it might be, as the root of the word imports, round like an eminence, or mountain like; which is no bad description of some of our Cheshire cheeses. The historian expressly observes, that this cheese was of kine; this remark coincides with the notion that there was another kind of cheese, which was not of kine; if so, it can only be the article intended by the foregoing word. That cheese of kine was somewhat of a rarity, we may infer from the little quantity of milk afforded by kine in hot countries: so Dr. Shaw informs us; "notwithstanding the rich herbage of this country from December to July, the butter hath never the substance, or richness of taste, with what our English dairies afford us in the depth of winter. Abdy Bashaw, dey of Algiers, was no less surprised than his ministers, when admiral Cavendish a few years ago acquainted him that he had a Hampshire cow on board the Cambridge, then in the road to Algiers, which gave a gallon of milk a day, a quantity equal to what half a dozen of the best Barbary cows would yield in the same time. The Barbary cattle likewise have another imperfection, that they always lose their calves and their milk together." [Compare Isai. vii. 15.]

CHAPTER XVIII. VERSES 6, 8. The battle was in the wood of Ephraim. The WOOD devoured more people than the sword. On Josh. ii. 6. we observed, that the Egyptians and Hebrews called woody plants, those which were of a strongish stem, like hemp, or flax: and here, I presume to think, they called woods, or woody places,

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