vites, of which the monuments give abundant illustration. Rawlinson says: "In the banquet-scenes of the sculptures it is drinking, and not eating, that is represented. Attendants dip the wine-cups into a huge bowl or vase, which stands on the ground and reaches as high as a man's chest, and carry them full of liquor to the guests, who straightway fall to a carouse. Every guest holds in his right hand a wine-cup of a most elegant shape, the lower part modeled into the form of a lion's head, from which the cup itself rises in a graceful curve. They all raise their cups to a level with their heads, and look as if they were either pledging each other or else one and all drinking the same toast."-Five Great Monarchies, vol. i, pp. 579, 580.

...

615.-ASSYRIAN WARRIORS.

II, 3. The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir-trees shall be terribly shaken.

This is a vivid description of ancient Assyrian warriors and their equip

ments.

1. The shields may have been reddened with paint, or with the copper with which they were overlaid.

2. The fighting costume of ancient warriors was of a blood-red color. It

128.-ASSYRIAN WAR-CHARIOT OF THE EARLY PERIOD. (NIMRUD.)

is said that one object of this was to conceal from the enemy the blood of their wounds, the sight of which might inspire them with new courage and hope.

3. By the "flaming torches " of the chariots, Michaelis, Ewald, Gesenius, and others, suppose to be meant the falces or scythes which were fastened

Hen

to the axle, and turned repeatedly with every revolution of the wheel. derson accordingly renders esh-peladoth, "fiery scythes." The fire of these scythes would be coruscations produced by their excessive brightness and the rapidity of their motion. Keil, however, (in his Commentary,) objects to this interpretation on the ground that "scythe-chariots were first introduced by Cyrus, and were unknown before his time to the Medes, the Assyrians, the Arabians, and also to the ancient Egyptians." He supposes peladoth to refer to the steel coverings of the Assyrian war-chariots, and appends the following interesting note from Strauss: "The chariots of the Assyrians, as we see them on the monuments, glare with shining things made either of iron or steel, battle-axes, bows, arrows, and shields, and all kinds of weapons; the horses are also ornamented with crowns and red fringes, and even the poles of the carriages are made resplendent with shining suns and moons; add to these the soldiers in armor riding in their chariots, and it could not but be the case that, when illumined by the rays of the sun above them, they would have all the appearance of flames as they flew hither and thither with great celerity." (See verse 4, 7. c.)

4. By the "

fir-trees," which were to be "terribly shaken," are probably meant the spears, darts, and lances, which had handles made of the wood of the cypress.

616.-TEMPERING CLAY.

III, 14. Go into clay, and tread the mortar.

This is an allusion to the ancient method of tempering the clay for mak. ing bricks. It was done by the feet of the laborer, and was very severe and fatiguing labor. Tit, "clay," may also be rendered "mire;" and chomer, "mortar," is not to be understood here in the sense of a cement for bricks, but rather of clay. Henderson accordingly translates the passage, "Enter the mire, and tread the clay." Keil has, "Tread in the mire, and stamp the clay." Potter's clay was tempered in a similar way. "He shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay." Isa. xli, 25.

HABAK KUK.

617.-WORSHIP OF WEAPONS.

I, 16. They sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag.

These fishing implements are used figuratively to represent the weapons of war by means of which the Chaldeans designed to take the Jews. It

ons.

was customary among some ancient nations to offer sacrifices to their weapThe Scythians offered sacrifices to a sword which was set up as a symbol of Mars. Herodotus says: "Yearly sacrifices of cattle and of horses are made to it, and more victims are offered thus than to all the rest of their gods."-Book iv, chap. lxii. Grote, in speaking of the same people, says: “The Sword, in the literal sense of the word, was their chief god-an iron scimitar solemnly elevated upon a wide and lofty platform, which was sup ported on masses of faggots piled underneath-to whom sheep, horses, and a portion of their prisoners taken in war, were offered up in sacrifice." -History of Greece, part ii, chap. xvii. The Hindus, to this day, make offerings to their fishing tackle, to their weapons, and to their tools of various kinds.

618. THE USE OF WOOD IN WALLS.

II, 11. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

Kaphis, "beam," is supposed by some to be a cross-beam for binding together the walls of a building. Jerome says it is "the beam which is placed in the middle of any building to hold the walls together, and is generally called iuúvтwoię by the Greeks." Henderson, however, objects to this rendering. He says: "That it was not the wood itself is evident from the following: from, or out of the wood." He prefers the interpretation given by the Mishna, and followed by some Jewish writers. According to these kaphis signifies a half brick. Rashi, the celebrated commentator and Talmudist, explains it to be "half a brick, which is usually laid between two layers of wood."

There are numerous evidences to show that ancient architects used wood to unite and bind walls, and it may have been some such custom to which the prophet refers in the text.

619.-SILENCE.

II, 20. But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

There may be a reference here to the profound and impressive silence which prevails in Oriental courts among the guards and officers who attend upon royal personages.

620.-THE NAKED BOW.

III, 9. Thy bow was made quite naked.

The bow was often kept in a case made of leather or of cloth.

To make

it "naked" meant to take it out of its case in order to use it. The expression signifies a preparation for war, and is of the same meaning as ering the shield." See note on Isa. xxii, 6.

66 uncov

ZEPHANIAH.

621.-THE CHEMARIM.

I, 4. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarim with the priests.

The word chemarim, here untranslated, occurs also in 2 Kings xxiii, 5, where it is rendered "idolatrous priests;" and in Hosea x, 5, where it is rendered "priests." It signifies the priests of idolatrous worship. Keil does not include in the term the priests of Baal, but limits its application to "the priests appointed by the Kings of Judah for the worship of the high places and the idolatrous worship of Jehovah "— Commentary in loco. Gesenius thinks it is derived from kamar, to be burned, to be sad, and that it refers to the black garments worn by priests. Some, however, think this idea too modern for adoption. Keil says that this derivation "is decidedly opposed by the fact, that neither the priests of the idols nor of the high places were ascetics or monks, and in ancient times the priests from India to Gaul wore robes of a white, and if possible of a brilliant white, color. Compare BAHR's Symbol., ii, p. 87, f, and the works there quoted."-Commentary on 2 Kings xxiii, 5.

ZECHARIAH.

622.-THE MONTH SEBAT.

I, 7. The eleventh month, which is the month Sebat.
Sebat corresponds very nearly to our month of February.

623.-HEAVY STONES.

XII, 8. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces.

Jerome supposes an allusion here to a custom common in Judea in his day, and which he thinks was known in the time of Zechariah. The young men were in the habit of lifting heavy stones for exercise, and for a display of strength. They lifted them to various heights, according to the weight of the stones and their own strength: to the knees, the breast, the top of the head, and even above the head, at arms' length. Jerusalem is declared by the prophets to be such a "burdensome stone" that whosoever should undertake to lift it would be destroyed by its weight.

Most commentators have followed Jerome's interpretation, though some prefer to think that the reference is made merely to a heavy stone used in building

624.-SEPARATION OF THE SEXES.

XII, 12. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart.

According to the Jewish custom, not only did the men and women dwell in separate apartments, but they also worshiped separately. In this text, the trouble that is to come upon the land is so great that every family shall be in mourning, the men mourning by themselves, and the women in like manner lamenting together.

625.-BELLS FOR HORSES.

XIV, 20. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord.

It was quite common among ancient nations to have bells hung around the necks of horses, both by way of ornament and to accustom the war-horses to noise. At the present time bells are used in caravans for horses and

129.-HEAD OF A CHARIOT-HORSE, SHOWING COLLAR WITH BELLS ATTACHED. (KOYUNJIK.) camels; sometimes being strung around the legs, as well as suspended from the neck. They are designed, not only for ornament, but also to encourage the animals by their sound, to frighten beasts of prey, and to keep the caravan together.

Some suppose that metsilloth, "bells," were small pieces of metal resembling cymbals, which made a tinkling noise by collision as the horses moved.