iciple, but it should not have been concealed, that all the ancient versions-the Vulgate, the Arabick, the Syriack, and the LXX, read "a Saviour:" and especially that this is done also by the Jewish paraphrast* himself: "It is remarkable," says Grotius, "that not only the Latin, but the Greek and Chaldee, [and, as I have added above from the Polyglot, the Syriack and Arabick,] should unite in rendering a Saviour.' Ӡ

2. A second objection is, that the evangelists have made a blunder here in saying, "that Jesus rode both upon the ass, and the ass's colt. They spread their garments upon them, and placed him upon them. See the evangelists in loc." There is a small blunder here made by the detector himself. The evangelists do not all use the phrase, which Mr. English quotes from Matthew. John, whose account is more concise, expressly says, that our Saviour, "having found a young ass, sat thereon," and Mark and Luke agree with him. A very ingenious and simple account of the whole transaction, and of the causes of the variation of Matthew from the other evangelists in relating it, may be found in Jones' Illustrations, section xliii.

* R. Isaac, with great insolence, accuses the Christians of imposing this translation on the word, Chissuk. Em. P. I. § 35. f Vid Grotium in loc.

Grounds of Christianity examined, p. 41.

§ Even in Matthew the Syriack translator renders "they placed their mantles upon the foal, and Jesus rode on him.”

1 xii. 14.

Mark xi. 8. Luke xix. 35.

"Finally," says Mr. English, "the event spoken of is contemporaneous with the restoration of Israel, and the establishment of peace and happiness; and this seems to cut up the evangelists' interpretation by the roots." But obscure as is the coherence of the context of the prophet, it is sufficiently apparent that he sets forth a series of events, commencing with a period near his own, and continued onward to the Messiah, with whose advent he naturally closes the train. The first event was the destruction of Tyre, which, as it must be understood of New Tyre, was accomplished by Alexander, about 330 years before Christ. The next event is the destruction of Gaza,† and this took place under the reign of Alexander Janneus, about 100 years before Christ. After other prophecies of this kind, which our ignorance of the geography and history of the age and place prevent us fully from under standing, it is added, "I will encamp about mine house with an army," &c. This must §

Zechariah ix. 4. Newcome notes upon the text, " that it is true Alexander the Great took Zidon, Tyre, and Gaza, but that the prophecy was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar." But as Newcome places the age of Zechariah in the year 518 A. C. and Nebuchadnezzar must have taken Tyre at least 585 A. C. sixty years before Zechariah prophecied, who nevertheless speaks of it as an event yet to come, it is probable that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Old Tyre or Palæo-Tyros, as it was called by the ancients, (Quint. Curt. 1. 4. c. v. and Justin 1. xi. 1.) and therefore that this prophecy of Zechariah regards the destruction of New Tyre, by Alexander the Great, as stated in the text. Newcome in loc. and Calmet, art. Tyre.

Zech. ix 5. Joseph. Ant. xiii. c. xiii. § 3.

Michaelis Orient. und Exeg. Bib. Th. iii. p. 76.

§ Zech. ix. 8.

refer to some event which took place, while God's house was standing, probably to the wars of the Asmomean princes; and then bursts out the prophet in the words in question, "Exult, oh daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee." So that the tenor of this oracle of Zechariah exhibits a series of predictions, commencing with the divine vengeance on certain wicked nations, which was soon after fulfilled, continued through the successes of the wars of the brave descendants of Judas, and ending with the last and great event, the coming of the Messiah.

I observe in conclusion, that this passage is applied to the Messiah by the ancient Jews, twice in the Talmud, and by several of their commentators; Jarchi among the rest says, it is impossible to expound it of any but the Messiah.* The epithet lowly is also an indication of the humble character of the Messiah, and one so positive, that the most judicious Jewish interpreters have resorted to their fiction of a twofold Messiah,† of which we shall speak at large hereafter, to avoid the manifest incongruity of these marks of humility, with their triumphant hero.

The pacifick character of the Messiah is also plainly indicated, and that he is not to be

Chandler's defence, p. 87.

† Aben Ezra, pronounced by Geddes, (Crit. Rem. p. 146,) the most learned and acute of the Jews, expresses his doubts whether the passage refer to Messiah Ben Joseph, or Messiah Ben David.

Vid Grotium in loc.

a "conquering pacificator" is expressly taught in these words of God, "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and he shall speak peace to the nations."*

The next prophecy adduced is Zechariah xii. 10. "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications, and they shall look upon met, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son," &c. A part of this prophecy is already fulfilled, and a part is yet to be fulfilled. St. John expresses both: "one of the soldiers, with a spear, pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water; these things were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken, and again, another scripture saith, they shall look on him whom they have pierced." The other part is yet to come, according to St. John in the revelation, "Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him ; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." Upon this prophecy Mr. English remarks: "The next passage, which has been offered as a prophecy of Jesus, is to be found

* Zech. ix. 10. † I render me, because I cheerfully allow with Eichhorn (Allgem. Bib. ii. 1607,) and De Rossi in loc. that it is supported by most authorities. The opposite authorities will appear in the sequel.

John xix. 34, 36, 37.

§ Rev. i. 7.

Zech. xii. 10. and part of it has been misquoted by John: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a spirit of grace and supplications, and they shall look on me, whom they have pierced.' So it stands in the English version, but before I state what it ought to be, I would observe, that before the evangelist (who in his account of the crucifixion, applies this passage. as referring to Jesus being pierced with a spear,) could make this passage fit his purpose, he had to substitute the word him for me, as it is in the Hebrew, confirmed I believe by all the versions, ancient and modern, without exception. Yet with this change, it will by no means answer his purpose; for the Hebrew word here translated pierced, in this place signifies blasphemed or insulted, as is. understood by Grotius, who confirms this rendering from the Hebrew of Leviticus xxiv. 11. where, in this passage, the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord,' the Hebrew word translated blasphemed, is from the same root with the Hebrew word translated pierced, in the passages in Zechariah, quoted above. So that the passage ought to be translated thus: "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall look towards me whom they have blasphemed. [To look towards God,' is a phrase frequently met with, and well understood.] Now to enable us to

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