Egypt call kobab, and with this dish they are so delighted, that I have heard them wish they might enjoy it in paradise. They likewise make soup of them in Egypt, cutting the onions in small pieces: this I think one of the best dishes I ever eat."

HASSELQUIST's Voyages, p. 290.

No. 60.-xi. 5. Melons.] By this we are probably to understand the water-melon, which, according to Hasselquist (Voyage, p. 255.) "the Arabians call batech. It is cultivated on the banks of the Nile, in the rich clayey earth which subsides during the inundation. This serves the Egyptians for meat, drink, and physic, It is eaten in abundance during the season, even by the richer sort of people; but the common people, on whom Providence has bestowed nothing but poverty and patience, scarcely eat any thing but these, and accourt this the best time of the year, as they are obliged to put up with worse fare at other seasons. This fruit likewise serves them for drink, the juice refreshing these poor creatures, and they have less occasion for water than if they were to live on more substantial food in this burning climate." This well explains the Israelites' regretting the want of this fruit in the parched thirsty wilderness.

No. 61.-xii. 14. If her father had but spit in her face.] Chardin observes, that "spitting before any one, or spitting upon the ground in speaking of any one's actions, is, through the East, an expression of extreme detestation." Hence we find it prescribed by the law, (Deut. xxv. 9.) as a mark of disgrace.

HARMER, vol. ii. p. 510.

No. 62.-xx. 19. If I and my cattle drink of thy water, then will I pay for it.] The value of water in the

East is much greater than is commonly understood. Its scarcity in many instances renders a well an important possession: it is not then to be wondered at that contention should arise on the probability of losing it, Gen. xxvi. 20. MAJOR ROOKE relates a circumstance of this kind, which cost several their lives, to such an extremity was the matter carried. He says, "one morning when we had been driven by stress of weather into a small bay, called Birk Bay, the country around it being inhabited by the Budoos, (Bedoweens) the noquedah sent his people on shore to get water, for which it is always customary to pay; the Budoos were, as the people thought, rather too exorbitant in their demands, and not choosing to comply with them, returned to make their report to their masters; on hearing it, rage immediately seized him, and, determined to have the water on his own terms or perish in the attempt, he buckled on his armour, and, attended by his myrmidons, carrying their match-lock guns and lances, being twenty in number, they rowed to the land. My Arabian servant, who went on shore with the first party, and saw that the Budoos were disposed for fighting, told me that I should certainly see a battle. After a parley of about a quarter of an hour, with which the Budoos amused them till near an hundred were assembled, they proceeded to the attack, and routed the sailors, who made a precipitate retreat, the noquedah and two others having fallen in the action, and several being wounded." (Travels, p. 53.) Hence we discover the conformity of the ancient and modern custom of buying the water, and the serious consequences that have ensued from disputes respecting it. This narration also gives energy to the complaint in Lam. v. 4. We have drank our own water for money.

No. 63.-xxiv. 17. There shall come a star out of

Jacob.] This prophecy may possibly in some sense relate to David, but without doubt it belongs principally to Christ. Here the metaphor of a sceptre was common and popular, to denote a ruler, like David: but the star, though, like the other, it signified in the prophetic writings a temporal prince or ruler, yet had a secret and hidden meaning likewise. A star in the Egyptian hieroglyphics denoted God. Thus God in the prophet Amos, reproving the Israelites for their idolatry on their first coming out of Egypt, says, have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? but ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun, your images, the star of your God which ye made to yourselves. (Amos v. 25, 25.) The star of your God is a noble figurative expression to signify the image of your God; for a star being employed in the hieroglyphics to signify God, it is used here with great elegance to signify the material image of a God: the words, the star of your God, being only a repetition of the preceding, Chiun, your image; and not (as some critics suppose) the same with your God-star. Hence we conclude that the metaphor here used by Balaam of a star was of that abstruse mysterious kind, and so to be understood, and consequently that it related only to Christ, the eternal son of God." (WARBURTON's Divine Legation, b. iv. sec. 4.) BISHOP NEWTON however is of opinion that the literal meaning of the prophecy respects the person and actions of David. (Dissertations on the prophecies, vol. i. P. 139.)

No. 64.-xxxv. 31. Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer.] Moses absolutely forbids the acceptance of any compensation for the life of a murderer. Through the influence of money it appears that punishment was often evaded in some countries, and probably till this time among the Jews. The BARON

Du TOTT tells us, that in case of a duel, if one of the parties is killed, the other is tried for the offence, and if condemned, "the criminal is conducted to the place of punishment; he who performs the office of executioner takes on him likewise that of mediator, and negociates till the last moment with the next of kin to the deceased, or his wife, who commonly follows, to be present at the execution. If the proposals are refused, the executioner performs the sentence; if they are accepted, he re-conducts the criminal to the tribunal to receive his pardon." p. 198. It may be proposed to consideration, whether or not there is any reference to this practice in the words of Christ, agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him. (Matt. v. 25.)

No. 65.-DEUTERONOMY i. 28.

The cities are great, and walled up to heaven.

The great monastery at Mount Ssinai, Thevenot says, (part i. p. 169.) "is well built of good free-stone, with very high smooth walls; on the east side there is a window by which those that were within drew up the pilgrims into the monastery, with a basket which they let down by a rope that runs in a pulley." These walls, he observes in the next chapter, are so high that they cannot be scaled, and without cannon that place cannot be taken. Thus it was anciently, and by this representation did the spies discourage the hearts of the people.

No. 66. iv. 20. Iron furnace.] It has been observed by chemical writers, not only that Iron melts slowly even in the most violent fire, but also that it ignites, or becomes red-hot, long before it fuses; and any one may observe the excessive brightness of iron when red or rather white-hot. Since therefore it requires the strongest fire of all metals to fuse it, there is a peculiar propriety in the expression, a furnace for iron, or an iron furnace, for violent and sharp afflictions.

No. 67. xi. 10. And wateredst it with thy foot.] The custom of watering with the foot, Dr. SHAW, (Travels, p. 408.) thus explains from the present practice of the Egyptians. "When their various sorts of pulse, safranon, musca, melons, sugar-canes, &c. (all which are commonly planted in rills) require to be refreshed, they strike out the plugs that are fixed in the bottoms of the cisterns, [wherein they preserve the water of the Nile] and then the water gushing out is conducted from one rill to another, by the gardener, who is