was thirty and eight thousand." Compared with ver. 24—27. "These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers, even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and upward. For David said, The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever; and also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above." At first David appointed the Levites to serve from thirty years old and upwards; but considering, probably, that the temple, which was about to be built, with its courts, chambers, &c. would require a more numerous ministry, he fixed this period, by this subsequent regulation, at twenty years and upwards. In the time of Moses, the age was from thirty years to fifty; here this latter period is not mentioned, probably because the service was not so laborious now; for the ark being fixed, they had no longer any burthens to carry; and therefore even an old man might continue to serve.*

2 Chron. iv. 3. "And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast." In the parallel passage of Kings, (1 Kings 7. 24) instead of p, bekarim, 'oxen,' we have

, pekaim, 'knops,' in the form of colocynths, which last is supposed by able critics to be the reading which ought to be received here: “¬p, bekarim, ' oxen,' being a mistake for oy, pekaim, 'knops.' Houbigant, however, contends that the words in both places are right; but that ¬2, bakar, does not signify an or here, but a large kind of grape, according to its meaning in Arabic. But Dr. A. Clarke states that, bakar, or

, bakarat, has no such meaning in Arabic, though the phrase

, aino 'lbikri, or 'ox eye,' signifies a species of black grape, very large and of incredible sweetness; that consequently the criticism of this great man is not solid; and that the likeliest method of reconciling the two places is supposing a change in the letters as above.*

1 Chron. iv. 5. "And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths." In the parallel passage (1 Kings 7. 26.) it is said to hold only two thousand baths; which some think may be reconciled by supposing that the quantity of water which was commonly in it was 2000 baths, but that, if filled up to the top, it would hold 3000. But, as the Babylonish cubit was less than that of the ancient Hebrews, it might be the same with measures of capacity; so that 2000 of the ancient Jewish baths might have been equal to 3000 of those used after the captivity. The Targum cuts the knot: It received 3000 baths of dry measure, and held 2000 of liquid measure.'*

2 Chron. v. 10. "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt." In the parallel passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews, (ch. 9. 4.), it is expressly stated that in the ark were the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;' but it is evident that the apostle speaks there of the tabernacle erected by Moses, and of the state and contents of that tabernacle in the time of Moses; and in the temple there were several things added, and several left out.

2 Chron. xxii. 9. The account in the parallel passage (2 Kings x 10-14.) is somewhat different. The current of the story at large is this,' says Dr. Lightfoot, (Works, vol. i. p. 88.), ‘Jehu slayeth Joram in the field of Jezreel, as Ahaziah and Joram were together: Ahaziah seeing this flies, and gets into Samaria, and hides himself there. Jehu marcheth to Jezreel, and makes Jezebel dog's meat: from thence sends to Samaria for the heads of Ahab's children and posterity; which are brought to him by night, and shewed to the people in the morning. Then he marcheth to Samaria, and, by the way, slayeth forty-two of Ahab's kinsmen; and findeth Jehonadab, the father of the Rechabites. Coming into Samaria, he maketh search for Ahaziah: they find him hid, and bring him to Jehu, and he commands to carry him towards Gur, by Ibleam, and there to slay him. They do so: smite him in his chariot, and his charioteer driveth away to Megiddo before he dies."*

Ezra xi. 11. "All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred." Instead of 5400, the enumeration of the articles in ver. 9, 10, only amounts to 2499; but in the parallel account, Esdras, ch. 2.13,14, the amount is 5469, as will be evident from the following statements:

Deficiency

2901

It is supposed that they actually amounted to 5400, but that only the chief of them were specified, the spoons, &c. being omitted. *

Ezra ii. 64. "The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore." Though the sum total, both here and in Nehemiah, is equal, namely, 42,360, yet the particulars

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reckoned up only make 29,818 in Ezra, and 31,089 in Nehemiah; and we find that Nehemiah mentions 1765 persons which are not in Ezra, and Ezra has 494 not mentioned in Nehemiah. This last circumstance, which seems to render all hope of reconciling them impossible, Mr. Alting thinks is the very point by which they can be reconciled; for, if we add Ezra's surplus to the sum in Nehemiah, and Nehemiah's surplus to the number in Ezra, they will both amount to 31,583; which subtracted from 42,360, leaves a deficiency of 10,777, which are not named because they did not belong to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, or to the priests, but to the other Israelitish tribes.*

Neh. vii. 26. "The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight." The Septuagint reads here the same as in the parallel place, (Ezra 2. 21, 22.) Υιοι Βαιθαλεμ, εκατον εικοσιτρείς υιοι Ατωφα [Alex. Ανετωφα] πεντηκονταεξ· — The children of Bethlehem, one hundred twenty and three; the children of Netophah, fifty and six.' Though this reading is not found in any Hebrew MS. yet collated, it is doubtless the true one. *

Neh. vii. 33. "The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two." The Alexandrian MS. adds, Υιοι Μαγαβως, εκατόν πεντηκονταεξ, σ The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six,' as in Ezr. 2. 30. *

Neh. vii. 44.

"The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight." One of Dr. Kennicott's MSS. (145.) reads in the parallel place of Ezra, (ch. 2. 41, where the present reading is 128,) an hundred and forty and eight,' as here.*

Neh. vii. 48. "The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai." After Hagaba, the Alexandrian MS. of the Septuagint inserts here, υιοι Ακουδ, υιοι Ουτα, υιοι Κηταρ, υιοι Αγαβ, 4 the children of Akoud, the children of Outa, the children of Ketar, the children of Agab,' or Hagab, which more nearly agrees with Ezra, 2. 45, 46; and in the latter verse, not only the Keri and Septuagint, but many of Dr. Kennicott's MSS. read "bw, Shalmai, as here. A more extensive collation of MSS. would doubtless tend still more to harmonize both the names and numbers; and for a more ample reconciliation, see the notes on these books.

*

Ps. lx. title. "To the chief Musician upon Shushan-eduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aram-naharaim, and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand." In 1 Ch. 18. 12, this victory is ascribed to Abishai, and the number is said to be 18,000; and in 2 Sam. 8. 13, it is attributed to David, and the persons slain are said to be 18,000 Syrians. But as Abishai acted under Joab, and Joab under David, it might very naturally be ascribed to the two latter: instead of □¬, aram, ‘Syria,' in 2 Sam. 12 MSS. and the versions have, Edom; and it is probable, that w wy, shenayim ásor aileph, 12,000, is here a mistake for 5 wy nɔaw. shemonah ásor aileph, 18,000.*

Matt. xxvii. 9, 10. "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me." The words here quoted are not found in Jeremiah, but in Zechariah; and a variety of conjectures have been formed in order to reconcile this discrepancy. The most probable opinion seems to be, that the name of the prophet was originally omitted by the Evangelist, and that the name of Jeremiah was added by some subsequent copyist. It is omitted in two MSS. of the 12th century, in the Syriac, later Persic, two of the Itala, and in some other Latin copies; and what renders it highly probable that the original reading was dia rov πро¶ηтоν, by the prophet, is, that St. Matthew frequently omits the name of the prophet in his quotations.— See ch. 1. 22; 2. 5, 15; 13. 35; 21. 4. This omission is approved of by Bengel, Dr. A. Clarke, and Horne.*

Matt. xxvii. 28. "And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe." St. Mark (ch. xv. 17.) calls it a purple robe; but by Toppvpa is denoted whatever is of a dazzling red; and the words KOKKIKOV, Scarlet, and Toppupa, purple, are not unfrequently interchanged.*

Matt. xxvii. 34. "They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink." St. Mark says, 'wine mingled with myrrh ;' but as the sour wine used by the Roman soldiers and common people was termed ovos, wine, and ožos, vinegar, (vin aigre, French,) is sour wine; and as xoλn, gall, is applied to bitters of any kind, it is not difficult to reconcile the two accounts.

*

Mark v. 2. "And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit." St. Matthew (ch. 8. 28..34.) gives a brief account of two demoniacs who were dispossessed on this occasion; but Mark and Luke omit the mention of one (who was perhaps not so remarkable), in order to record that of the other more fully.*

Mark vi. 8, 9.—" And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only, no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: but be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats." St. Matthew says, they were to take, 'neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves;' but this precept plainly means, Go just as you are; take no other coat, shoes, or staff, than what you already have.'*

Mark x. 46. "And they came to Jericho and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the highway side begging." St. Luke (ch. 18. 35, &c.) says, that this took place, as he was come nigh unto Jericho,' and afterwards records an event which took place in that city. But the words εν τω εγγιζειν αυτον εις Ιεριχω, may be rendered, When he was nigh Jericho,' which is equally true of him who is gone a little way from

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it, as of him who is come near it; and as it is probable that Jesus staid some days in the neighbourhood, this might occur as he went out of the city during that time, and he might afterwards re-enter it. St. Matthew (Matt. 20. 29, &c.) mentions two blind men who received their sight on this occasion; but Bartimæus was probably the more remarkable of the two, and therefore mentioned by name.

*

Mark xiv. 3. "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head." It appears to me more probable' says Dr. Doddridge, 'that Matthew and Mark should have introduced this story out of its place; that Lazarus, if he made this feast, (which is not expressly said by John,) should have made use of Simon's house, as more convenient; and that Mary should have poured this ointment on Christ's head and body, as well as on his feet; than that, within the compass of four days, Christ should have been twice anointed with so costly a perfume; and that the same fault should be found with the action, and the same value set upon the ointment, and the same words used in defence of the woman, and all this in the presence of many of the same persons; all which improbable particulars must be admitted, if the stories be considered as different.' The rebuke which Judas received from Christ at this unction determined him in his resolution to betray his Master; and therefore, Christ's rebuke, and Judas's revenge are united as cause and effect, by Matthew and Mark. *

Mark xvi. 1, 2. "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and annoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Mr. West supposes, that the women made two different visits to the sepulchre; and in consequence of that, two distinct reports to the disciples; that Mary Magdalene, with the other Mary and Salome, set out not only early, but very early in the morning, Xav ρ, i. e. before the time appointed to meet Joanna and the other women there. (Lu. 24. 10.) This interpretation, which is adopted by several eminent writers, is very probable, and reconciles the apparent discrepancy in the Evangelists.* Mary Magdalene, as well as Peter, was evidently at the sepulchre twice on the morning of the resurrection. The first time of her going was some short time before her companions, the other Mary and Salome, (Matt. xxviii. 1.); and observing that the stone had been removed, she returned to inform Peter and John. In the mean time, the other Mary and Salome came to the sepulchre, and saw the angel, as recorded by Matthew and Mark. While these women returned to the city, Peter and John went to the sepulchre, passing them at some distance, or going another way, followed by Mary Magdalene, who staid after their return.