city in its fituation and fortifications. But if we take the phrase more generally, as our tranflators understand it, Antiochus, after the fuccefs of this battle and of this fiege, reduced other countries and took other fenced cities, which' are mentioned by (4) Polybius, and recited by Jerome out of the Greek and Roman hiftorians. The arms of the fouth could not withstand him, neither his chofen people, neither Scopas, nor the other great generals, nor the choiceft troops who were fent against him: but he did according to his own will, and none was able to fland before him; for he foon (5) rendered himself. mafter of all Cœle-Syria and Palestine. Among others (6) the Jews alfo readily fubmitted to him, went forth in folemn proceffion to meet him, received him fplendidly into their city, fupplied him with plenty of provifions for all his army and elephants, and affifted him in besieging the garrifon, which Scopas had left in the citadel. Thus he food in the glorious land, and his power was established in Judea. Which by his hand fhall be confumed: So this paffage

tuit donec fame fuperatus Scopas manus dedit, et nudus cum fociis dimiffus eft. Hieron. ibid. Jofeph. ibid. Valefii Excerpta ex Polyb. p. 77, &c.

(4) Polyb. apud Jofeph. ibid.

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Hieron. ibid.

(5) Liv. Lib. 33. Cap. 19. Juftin. Lib. 31. Cap. 1. Polyb. Legat. 72. p. 893.

(6) Jofephus, ibid.

(7) Tes

fage is generally understood, and tranflated, and commentators hereupon obferve that (7) Jofephus relates, that Antiochus the great reigning in Afia, the Jews, their country being wafted, suffered many things, as well as the inhabitants of Cœle-Syria. For Antiochus warring against Ptolemy Philopator, and against his fon Ptolemy Epiphanes, it was their fate to fuffer, whether he was conqueror, or was beaten, fo that they were like a ship toft in a tempeft, and lying between both were sure to suffer, which ever fide prevailed.' But then they could not be faid to be confumed by the hand of Antiochus particularly; they were confumed as much or more by Scopas: and the word is capable of another interpretation, which agrees as well with the truth of the Hebrew, and better with the truth of history. It may be tranflated, Which shall be perfected, or profper, or florish, in his hand. The original will well admit of this fenfe, and the event

(γ) Τις γαρ Ιεδαίας, επ' Αντίοχε το Μεγαλο βασιλεύοντος της Ασίας, ευχεν αυλός σε πολλά ταλαιπω αυλων ζησαι της γης κακωμένης, και της την Κοιλην Συριαν νεμόμενες. πολεμενος γας αυτό προς τον Ευπαΐορα Πτολεμαίον, και προς τον υιον αυτε Πτολεμαίον, τον κλη θελα Επιφανη, κακοπαθείν συνεβαινεν αύλους και νικωντος, #latoros ravla waoxer. ŵs

και

der

con

απελείπον χειμαζόμενης νεως, και πονεμενης εκατέρωθεν ὑπο τα κλυδω νος, μεταξυ της ευπραγίας της Αντιοχές, και της επί θάτερον αύτε τροπης των πραγμαίων κειμε vo. Regnante in Afia Antiocho Magno, accidit ut tum Judai terra eorum vaftata, tum qui CalenSyriam incolebant,multa adverfa paterentur. Eo enim belligerante adverfus Ptolemæ

confirms it. For Antiochus, to reward and encourage the Jews in their fidelity and obedience to him, (8) gave order that their city should be repaired, and the difperfed Jews should return and inhabit it; that they should be supplied with cattle and other provifions for facrifices; that they fhould be furnished with timber and other materials for finishing and adorning the temple; that they should live all according to the laws of their country; that the priests and elders, the scribes and levites fhould be exempted from the capitation and other taxes; that those who then inhabited the city, or fhould return to it within a limited term, fhould be free from all tribute for three years, and the third part of their tribute fhould be remitted to them for ever after; and also that as many as had been taken and forced into fervitude, fhould be released, and their substance and goods be restored to them. Where Grotius remarks, (9) that what is said about finishing and completing the temple, answers

um Eupatorem [Alibi conftanter Philopatorem eum vocat] et ejus filium cognomine Epiphanem, contigit illis, ut fi is fuperior fuerit, affligerentur, fi inferior, plane eadem paterentur: adeo ut haud diffimilis effent navi in tempeftate, fluctibus utrinque vexatæ, ut qui in medio jacerent, dum et Antiocho res profpere cederent et

I

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in contrarias partes mutarentur. Jofeph. ibid.

(8) Vide Epift. Antiochi apud Jofeph, ibid.

(9) Ubi anaglicas eft quod hic quod alibi per over (confummare) alibi per Ter (finire) aut nga (implere). vertunt LXX. Grot. in locum, (1) Και

i answers exactly to the word perfected or conSummated in the Hebrew. Thus also (1) the Seventy tranflate it, and thus (2) Theodoret explains it; And it shall be perfected by his hand, that is it fhall profper; for fo likewise Jose

!

phus hath taught us in his history, that the "Jews of their own accord having received Antiochus, were greatly honored by him.'

Antiochus the great, like other ambitious princes, the more he attained, afpired the more to conqueft and dominion. He fhall alfo fet his · face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus fhall be do, and he fhall give him the daughter of women corrupting ber, or to corrupt her but she shall not stand on his fide, neither be for him. (ver. 17.) He shall alfo fet his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, or rather He fhall alfo fet his face to enter by force the whole kingdom: and Antiochus not contented with having rent the principal provinces from Egypt, was forming schemes

(1) Και τελεσθησείαν εν τη χειρι als. Sept.

ཝ་

(2) Και συνελεσθήσεται εν τη Xeig avly.] Telesi svodanoela έτω γαρ ήμας και ο Ιωσηππος δια της ιστορίας εδίδαξεν ότι αυτόματοι τον Αντίοχον οι Ιεδαίοι δεξάμενοι σφόδρα ύπ' αύτες επιμήθησαν. Hoc eft, profpere ei fuccedet. Sic enim nos item Jofephus docuit

in hiftoria, Judæos Antiocho ultro accepto, magno in honore ab illo habitos fuiffe. Theod, in locum. Vol. 2. p. 681. Edit, Sirmondi,

(3) Καλα σπεδην ο Αντίοχος απηεί, ως Αίγυπτον έρημον αρχον τος αρπασομενος. properavit in Egyptum, ut occuparet orbatam principe. Appian de Bell,

Syr.

schemes (3) to feife upon the whole kingdom.

And upright ones with him; thus fhall be do: If this tranflation be right, the upright ones here intended are the Jews, who marched under the banners of Antiochus, and are fo denominated to distinguish them from the other idolatrous foldiers. But the (4) But the (4) Seventy and the Vulgar Latin exhibit a much more probable translation, that be fhall fet things right, or make agreement with him, as the phrafe is ufed before. (ver. 6.) Antiochus would have feifed upon the kingdom of Egypt by force: but as he was (5) meditating a war with the Romans, he judged it better to proceed by stratagem, and to carry on his defigns by treaty rather than by arms. For this purpofe he shall give him the daughter of women, his daughter fo called as being one of the most eminent and beautiful of women: and accordingly (6) Antiochus propofed a treaty of marriage by Eucles the Rhodian, betrothed his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy in the feventh

Syr. p. 88. Edit. Steph. p. 144. Edit. Tollii. Antiochus rex Syriæ occupare Ægyptum ftatuit. Juftin. Lib. 31. Cap. 1. (4) Και ένθεια παντα μετ' AUTH Tоmos. Sept.Et re&ta faciet cum eo. Vulg.

(5) Appian. ibid. p. 145. (6) filiam fuam Cleopatram per Euclem Rhodium, fep

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year timo anno regni adolescentis, defpondit Ptolemæo, et tertio decimo anno tradidit, data ei dotis nomine omni Cœle-Syria et Judæa. Hieron. in locum Col. 1126. Appian. ibid. Liv. Lib. 35. Cap. 13. Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 12. Cap. 4. Sect. 1. p. 523. Edit. Hudson.

(7) Pto