SOME GREAT WARS OF THE BIBLE

ANY one who thinks that the Jews were not a fighting people, has never read the Bible. From the reading of the latter one must come away with the feeling that ancient Israel was one of the most warlike peoples of history. Throughout the period traversed by the Bible, the Israelites found themselves forced to face war, and there is no sign that they shrank from it. The object of the Bible, it is true, is not to write a history of the wars of Israel. Its aim is to trace the history of Israel's divine education of his education in Religion. The Bible is a book of Religion. But the account of Israel's divine education is inseparable from the history of the wars of Israel. One thing is made clear by the Bible, namely, that insofar as the Jews came to play a part in the religious and spiritual history of mankind, they did so through a long series of wars.

Indeed, it is noteworthy that God is time and again represented in the Bible as the teacher of warfare. It has frequently been pointed out — and not always with approval - that the ancient Hebrews regarded their God as a god of war. They thought of Him, we are told, as Lord of hosts, as "a man of war," as captain of their army. This

presentation of Hebrew thought is not quite accurate; when the prophet speaks of the Lord of Hosts he has in mind the hosts of Creation and not the armies of Israel, he thinks of God as master of the myriads of the Universe, while the phrase "God is a man of war is probably a conventional mistranslation of a Hebrew idiom which means "God is mighty in war" or " ready for war." But insofar as it is true, the ideas of the Hebrews did not differ from those of their neighbors and contemporaries. They all made the same identification of a people with its God. It was rooted in the thought of the time. It was expressed in the beliefs and in the poetry of the times. It is the Prophets who first taught the contrary doctrine, that God is greater than His people, and that at times the defeat of the people may mean the triumph of God. But that was a revolutionary doctrine. In war, as in peace, God and people are interrelated. In fact, to go to war, in the biblical expression, was 'to sanctify war." It was a holy undertaking. The initial steps were taken by priests and prophets. The shields were anointed by the priests. Prophets were consulted as to God's approval or disapproval. In earliest times, the Ark was carried into the battle, as a visible token of the Divine Presence and Leadership. The capture of the Ark was a calamity, not merely as a symbol of defeat, but also in itself, as removal of the Divine Presence. It is the taking of the ark by the Philistines that causes the greatest

shock to Eli and to his daughter-in-law: "The glory is departed from Israel; for the Ark of God is taken!"

"And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when the battle was spread, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said: 'Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that He may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.' And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said: 'What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?' And they knew that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said: 'God is come into the camp.' And they said: 'Woe unto us! for there was not such a thing yesterday and the day before. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues and in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you; quit yourselves like men and fight.' And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, were slain."

"And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And the man said unto

Eli: 'I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army.' And he said: 'How went the matter, my son?' And he that brought the tidings answered and said: 'Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.' And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy."

Besides, the Bible represents God as the teacher of war. When the Israelites come out of Egypt, they are not permitted to take a direct route to Canaan, up the coast of the Mediterranean, by way of the land of the Philistines, for fear they might face war, and retreat; they are led in a roundabout way, in order that they might learn war and be fitted for the tasks of the future. And later on, in some of the Psalms ascribed to David, the poet praises the Lord for teaching him the art of war.

"Blessed be the Lord my Rock,

Who traineth my hands for war,

And my fingers for battle;

My lovingkindness, and my fortress,

My high tower and my deliverer;

My shield, and He in whom I take refuge;

Who subdueth my people under me!"

And again:

"As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the Lord is tried;

He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in Him.

"For who is God, save the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
The God that girdeth me with strength,
And maketh my way straight;

Who traineth my hands for war,

So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

Thou hast also given me Thy shield of salvation,
And Thy right hand hath holden me up;
And Thy condescension hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,

And my feet have not slipped.

"I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back till they were consumed.
For Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle;
Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against

me.

Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me,

And I did cut off them that hate me."

Indeed, we do not often realize the extent to which our own religious vocabulary has been colored by the warlike character of Israel's history and by the military metaphors of the Hebrew poets.

"Strive, O Lord, with them that strive with me; Fight against them that fight against me.

Take hold of shield and buckler,

And rise up to my help.

Draw out also the spear, and the battle-axe, against

them that pursue me;

Say unto my soul: 'I am thy salvation.""

Now, this is not said for the purpose of glorifying war, but rather for the sake of calling attention