of this tribe were able to pay large contributions for the fupport of the state.

16. This is an allufion to the name of Dan, which fignifies a judge; intimating that tho' Dan was the fon of a concubine, he would not on that account be inferior to his brethren.

17. How this was verified in the event does not appear. The meaning is, that in war he would act more by ftratagem than open force, taking his enemy by furprize, and recovering any advantage he might feem to have over him.

The word rendered an adder, is

the cerastes

18. This exclamation makes an interruption in the prophecy, for which no reason appears. Perhaps having proceeded thus far, and being exhausted, he might purpofely make a pause, and utter this ejaculatory pray

er.

19. Here is an allufion to the name of Gad, which fignifies a troop. Thofe of this tribe were expofed to the fudden incurfions of the Moabites and Ammonites, for which they might not always be fufficiently prepared; but they might afterwards recover from their confternation, and make the enemy repent of their invafion. This was verified in the hiftory of Jephtha, who recovered his country from the oppreffion of the Ammonites.

20. The inheritance of Afher was about mount Carmel, where there was a delicious valley.

21. The lot of Naphthali was near to Lebanon,which might fuggeft the idea of beautiful branching trees; as the paffage ought to be rendered; as it is in the LXX, and

VOL. I.

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LXX, and other antient verfions, Aluxuriant shoot, prow ducing in its fruit what is beautiful.

22. Here too we have an allufion to the name of Jofeph, fignifying increase; and as the ancestor of two tribes, he is juftly compared to a tree planted in a garden, and near to a well, which enables it to throw out luxuriant branches. This prediction muft hage appeared very unlikely to be verified, when Jofeph had only two fons, and all his brothers feveral.

23. In this there may be an allufion to the ill offices of his brethren, and the fuperiority he acquired over

them.

26. 1 here is much obfcurity in this prediction. The inheritance of Ephraim and Manaffeh was in a hilly country, but very fruitful; and the blefling of Mofes corresponds with that of Jacob. See Deut. xxxiii, 15. where he bleffes them for the chief things of the antient mountains, and the precious things of the lasting hills.

27. This is an intimation that the tribe of Benjamin would be of a warlike difpofition, and that they were fo is evident from their sustaining a moft deftructive war with all the other tribes, tho' they were conquered, and almost extirpated at laft. Saul the firft king of Ifracl, and a man of a warlike difpofition, was of this tribe; but that they were particularly fuccefsful in their wars, does not appear. They continued in connection with the tribe of Judah, and being fituated between that and the ten other tribes, it is probable that their skill and experience in war would be particularly exercised. It is obferved that the Benjamites were very skilful in the ufe of the fling. Among them in Gibeah only it is

faid (Judges xx 16) that there were seven hundred chosen men left handed, and that every one could sling stones to an hair's breadth, and not miss.

32. This verfe is omitted in the Vulgate, and Houbigant thinks it fhould follow v. 30.

33. He feems to have died a proper natural death, of mere old age, without fickness or pain.

Ch. L. 1. It was promifed to Jacob that his fon Jofeph fhould clofe his eyes, which he, no doubt, did, as it was the custom of fome near relation to do.

2. The Egyptians excelled in the art of embalming the dead. Many of their preferved bodies, called mummies are to be seen at this day, being brought as curiofities to the different countries of Europe. Diodorus Siculus fays that their embalming took up more than thirty days.

3. He fays that their mourning for the dead kings was seventy two days.

10. Whether Atad be the name of a place, or of a perfon, is uncertain. A perfon of that name might have given his name to the place. Seven days was the ufual time of a public mourning among the Jews in a later age. See 1 Sam. xxxvi. 13 Ecclus xxvii. 13 Judith, xvi, 29. And their feftivals, on occafion of a marriage, were of the fame continuance. Gen. xxix, 27.

15. Joseph's brethren were afraid when their father was dead. Conj. P.

16. They might think that Jofeph had fpared them out of refpect to their father; but it foon appeared that the fufpicion was ill founded. His generofity had not depended

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depended on that circumstance, but arofe from his own excellent difpofition.

17. For I fear God. Conj. Ho.

23. Were born in the days of Joseph. SAM.

25. Jofeph did not defire to be carried immediately to Canaan, as his father had been; but his being kept unburied with a view to it, would preferve on the minds of his countrymen the belief of their destination, and shew his own faith in the promise of God to his anceftors. It is probable that all the fons of Jacob followed the example of Jofeph in this refpect; and this feems to have been the opinion of the Jews in general, fince Stephen on his trial fays (Acts xvii. 15) 16, Jacob died, and our fathers, and were carried over unto Shechem.

26. He lived fifty four years after the death of his father, and died one hundred and forty four years before the departure of his countrymen out of Egypt. Of the kings that reigned in Egypt in this interval, we have no certain account.

EXODUS

NOTES ON

EXODU S.

THIS book contains a continuation of the

Israelitish history, and has its name from the principal circumftance recorded in it, viz. the deliverance of the nation from their fervitude in Egypt. The contents are of the most interesting nature; being an account of the wonderful difplays of divine power in this deliverance, the communication of the law from mount Sinai, and all the particulars of their civil conflitution of government, which feparated the Israelites from all other Dations of the world, and made them the peculiar people of God, from whom the knowledge of all religious truth was to be derived to the rest of mankind.

Ch. I. 1, Mofes begins this book with an account of the number of Jacob's family at the time of his going into Egypt, to fhew how wonderfully they had increased during their refidence there, notwithstanding the grievous oppression to which they had been subject. ed; and therefore that the promise of God to Abraham and Jacob had been abundantly fulfilled, viz. that in that country they would become a great nation.

7. Notwithflanding the oppreffion of the Ifraelites, they must have been, on the whole, well accommodated, and especially have had a fufficiency of wholesome food, or this amazing increase would have been impoffi