13. At that time all the remains of idolatry will be extirpated.

VI. 1. This is an enumeration of the causes of complaint that God had against his people.*

5. Shittim was the place at which the Israelites were encamped when they were seduced by the Midianites into the worship of Baal-peor. From this time to that of their encampment at Gilgal, very great events, and signal interpositions of Divine Providence, had taken place.†

6. This is a noble and animated view of the great objects of all the Divine dispensations; shewing the subserviency of ritual worship to practical morality. It is similar to many other passages in the ancient prophets.

8. Bishop Butler supposes that the question in vers. 6, 7, is that of Balak, and that ver. 8 contains the answer of Balaam, announced in ver. 5. But it seems to be too excellent for such a man as Balaam was.

9. and there is sound wisdom with them that fear his

name.

13. Wherefore I will begin to smite thee.||

16. The LXX. has nations, y being here put for y.¶ Omri was a king of Israel, whose idolatry exceeded that of the kings who had preceded him. (1 Kings Kings xvi. 25.) But his son Ahab went beyond him, introducing the worship of Baal.

VII. 4. ** The time of judgment announced by the prophets.

6. This passage is quoted by Jesus, as what would be applicable to the state of the world on the promulgation of Christianity.tt

7. This is the language of the people in their captivity, and repenting of their sins.

12. By the help of the LXX. and some MSS., we may suppose the meaning to have been,

And in that day shall they (thy captive exiles) come unto
thee

From Assyria even unto Egypt,

See Bp. Lowth's Isaiah (i. 2), p. 4; Newcome, p. 98.

† See Numb. xxv.; Josh. v. 10; Vol. XI. p. 259; Newcome, pp. 98, 236. "Sermons at the Rolls Chapel," (No. vii.) Glasgow, 1769, p. 175. See Hallett, III. pp. 215, 216; Lowth (Lect. xviii.), II. pp. 20, 21; Newcome, pp. 99, 256. § MSS. Newcome, p. 100. (P.) || Ibid. (P.)

Com. and Ess. II. p. 95. See Newcome, p. 101.

See Harmer, I. p. 453; IV. pp. 83, 84; Bp. Lowth's Isaiah (xxvii. 4), p. 145; Newcome, p. 102.

++ See Matt. x. 21, 35, 36; Luke xii. 53.

And from Tyre even unto the river Euphrates,

And from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain;*

i. e. from all the countries in which they have been dispersed.

14. This may be supposed to be an address to the rulers of the people of Israel on their return, or to God, as the chief shepherd of Israel.†

15. According to a reading favoured by the LXX., it may be, I will shew to thee marvellous things.

NAHUM.

CHAP. I. 1. JEROME says that Nahum is called an Elkoshite from a village in Galilee. He probably lived in the reign of Hezekiah, and prophesied soon after the captivity of the ten tribes by Shalmanassar, king of Assyria. Josephus + places him in the reign of Jotham, and says that his prophecies came to pass one hundred and fifteen years after they were delivered.§

2. This prophecy opens with an animated description of the power of God, and his determination to destroy all his enemies.

8. It is said that the river on which Nineveh was built, overflowing its banks, broke down a great part of its wall while it was besieged; on which the king, in despair, burned himself and his palace.||

10. For while the princes are yet perplexed.¶

11. Meaning the king of Assyria.

12. [Though thou be the Ruler of many waters.]**

* Com. and Ess. II. p. 95. See LXX.; Wall, II. p. 124; Newcome, p. 103. ↑ "Dr. Wheeler gives the following beautiful turn to this passage:

Church Feed thy people with thy sceptre;

The sheep of thine inheritance, dwelling in the
solitary grove.

Jehovah. Let them feed in the midst of Carmel,
In Bashan and Gilead, as in days of old."

Antiq. B. ix. Ch. xi. Sect. ii. iii. See Gray, p. 467.

Newcome, p. 104.

§ "Nahum's tomb, or pretended tomb, was formerly shewn in a village named Bethogabra, now called Giblin, near Emmaus." Ibid. p. 472.

See Diod. Sic. (L. ii § 27), in Newcome, p. 108. TMS. An. Vers. Newcome, p. 108. (P.) "The interpreters know not how to apply here any thing of drinking. It is not in LXX." Wall, II. p. 125. **Com. and Ess. II. pp. 96, 97; Newcome, p. 109. "LXX. Thus saith the Lord, that ruleth over many waters, even thus shall they be cut down, and the fame of them shall be heard no more.' I suppose the prophet, speaking these words, used the action of a mower; and that it is spoken of Niniveh." Wall, II. P. 126.

Nineveh, besides being situated on the Tigris, was not far distant from the Euphrates, which was within its empire; and therefore the king of it is called the ruler of many waters. And this is a prophecy of the humbling of this great power, and the final restoration of the Israelites.*

II. 1. It is not certain from this verse that Nahum wrote after the captivity of the ten tribes; because he only speaks of the calamities which had befallen them, and they were much reduced before their final conquest.†

2. That is, Jacob will then appear to be entitled to the name of Israel, one who prevails with God.+

3.

We have here, and in the following verses, a description of the preparations for a siege, and for war in general. But some think that these verses describe more naturally, preparations for the defence of a city, than those of the besiegers to take it.||

6. Perhaps to keep off the besiegers.

7. This is a representation of the taking of the city. The voice of doves is expressive of mourning.**

8. The waters of Nineveh are as a pool of water.††

The inundation which was made for the defence of the place long remained as a lake in its neighbourhood.

10. The allusion is thought to be to a pot becoming black when it is placed upon the fire. May God blacken his face, is at this day a common curse in the East.

11. This is a fine allusion to the strength and ferocity of the Assyrians, and to the capital of the kingdom, as a den of lions.§§

* On the opinion "that in this chapter the prophet foretells the destruction, first of Sennacherib's army, and then of Sennacherib himself," see Dr. Forsayeth in Newcome, p. 236.

+ “LXX. THY US p1vUS piv— Up The disdainful injury done to Jacob, as being an injury done to his people Israel. Castalio, Adhibitam in Jacobæos superbiam.' The context is not of judginents on Israel, but of the injury done to them by the pride of the Ninevites or Assyrians." Wall, II. p. 126.

See on Gen. xxxii. 28, Vol. XI. p. 97.

§ See Newcome, p. 110; "LXX. and Vulg. In the day of his preparation the

bridles of his chariots and the horsemen shall make a tumult.'" See Com. and Ess. II. pp. 97, 98.

Wall, II. p. 126.

Wall, II. P. 126.

¶ "LXX. -the cities be thrown down.'" ** See Harmer, I. p. 412; II. pp. 110-112; Capellus in Newcome, p. 111. "The sentiment is evidently as the Latin, Greek and Chaldee versions give it, that the maids of her that was led away captive should mourn as doves, and beat upon their breasts, as persous in the utmost distress; and tabring was certainly very injudiciously put for smiting, which was the word in our former version. Such instances shew the benefit and expediency of a more correct and intelligible translation of the Bible than we have at present; and, that a translator should not too strictly adhere to any of the former versions." Pilkington, pp. 117, 118. ++ MS. Newcome, p. 111. (P.)

See Joel ii. 6; Newcome, p. 112; LXX. Vulg.; Castalio in Wall, II. p. 126. 99 See Jos. Antiq. B. ix. Ch. xi. Sect. iii.; Newcome, p. 112.

III. 4. The Assyrians, as well as the Chaldeans, were much addicted to idolatry, which, with respect to God, is usually called adultery.

8.

her wall was water.*

This was a city in Egypt, perhaps the same with ancient Thebes. The word Ammon probably came from Ham, the son of Noah, whose posterity settled in Egypt. Some, interpreters suppose this to be a narration of what was past, and others a prophecy of future calamity. This last is agreeable to the versions of LXX. and the Arabic. But if it was a prophecy, it could not have served as an example or warning to Nineveh, and in that light it seems to be introduced. It is thought that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had conquered Egypt, and done what is here mentioned; but others find no event to correspond to it till the more certain conquest of the country by Nebuchadnezzar. The ancient history of Egypt is too imperfect to clear up this difficulty.†

11. It would be reduced to servitude.

16, 17. It is probable that Nineveh was the great centre of the Indian commerce, and that the inhabitants became rich and powerful by that means, as did Tyre and other cities. Yet, numerous as were its merchants, and great as was its wealth, it would be plundered, and left as bare as a green field by the locusts.

18. It is said that of all the nations dependent on the Assyrians, none came to their assistance when the city was besieged. It was taken by the joint forces of the Medes and Babylonians; but the time is uncertain. Josephus§ says it was in the reign of Hezekiah, but it was standing in the reign of Josiah, (2 Kings xxiii. 29, Zeph. ii. 13,)]| and in Tobit, [xiv. 15,] Nineveh is said to have been taken by Nebuchadnezzar, and Ahasuerus, who is thought to have been the same with the Cyaxares of Herodotus.¶

MS. LXX. (P.) Newcome, p. 114.

On vers. 8-10, see M. Roques, VI. p. 150; and on the probable errors of Heb. and LXX. in this passage, Wall, II. pp. 127, 128.

See Harmer, I. pp. 227-231; Newcome, p. 115.

Antiq. B. ix. Ch. xi. Sect, iii.; Newcome, pp. 116, 117.

"In Ezek. xxxi. and in Jeremy, it is spoken of as destroyed some time ago; which shews the inconvenience of placing their books before Nahum and Zephany, who foretell the destruction of it. It disturbs a reader, after he has read in a former book of a city as now perished some time ago, to read in a latter one of it as yet standing." Wall, II. p. 125.

See Prideaux, Pt. i. B. i. I. pp. 67-69. Another city erected out of the ruins of old Nineveh, bore the same name, yet never attained to the grandeur and glory of the former. It is called Mosul, at this day." Ibid, p. 68.

HABAKKUK.

HABAKKUK was probably contemporary with Jeremiah. He laments the degeneracy of his times, and foretells the desolation of his country by the Chaldeans, and the destruction of that nation afterwards. But there is more of piety, and less of prediction, in his book, than in those of any of the preceding prophets.

CHAP. I. 5. The Jews had no apprehension of the power of the Chaldeans, and would not believe what the prophets foretold concerning them.

s. When a body of horsemen in the East are sent to ravage a country, they divide themselves into a great number of small parties, and by this means do incredible mischief in a short time. ‡

9.§ They will destroy every thing in their march, like the east wind, which, coming from a hot, sandy desert, was exceedingly destructive.||

10. The method of besieging a town at this time, was by raising mounds of earth as high as the walls.

11, 12. When the conquests of the Chaldeans were completed, they became luxurious and an easy prey to more hardy nations.

With a slight alteration this may be rendered, Then shall their mind change, and they shall transgress, and shall impute this their power to their god. (But they are mistaken.) Is it not thou, O Jehovah, the everlasting God, the God of truth! Is it not thou who hast appointed them for judg ment, who hast established them, and given them power for a time to chastise thy rebellious people?¶

14. The Israelites were caught by the Chaldeans as fishes

"LXX. Behold ye despisers and regard, and wonder marvellously and perish; for I work a work in your days,' &c. as St. Paul quotes it." Wall, II. p. 132. See Acts xiii. 41, where Paul "accommodates this passage to his own purpose." Newcome, p. 146.

+ On leopards, see Harmer, II. pp. 438, 439.

Ibid. IV. pp. 230-234. "Mr. Green's translation is,

And their horsemen sharper than evening wolves;
Their horsemen shall come from afar.'

(Poetical Parts of the Old Testament, p. 23.)" Newcome, p. 147.

"The Syriac surely more intelligibly, and more agreeably to the context, renders the words, their aspect is very fierce;' and the Latin, their faces are a burning wind.'" Pilkington, p. 82. See Wall, II. p. 132.

See Com. and Ess. II. p. 98.

¶Ibid. II. pp. 98, 99. See LXX. and Vulg. in Wall, II.

p. 182.