It is a sudden

.sword of our brethren | עָלָיו עוֹלָה וּמִנְחָה וְאִם־לַעֲשׂוֹת עָלָיו

: wira; san nin, deb apostrophe to God, usual in such vehement
speeches.
Ged.-Spare us not.] It is not certain
whether this be addressed to Eleazar; or if
it be an imprecation to God, equivalent to
Let us never prosper.

22 ὁ θεὸς θεὸς κύριος ἐστι, καὶ ὁ θεὸς θεὸς αὐτὸς οἶδε, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ αὐτὸς γνώσεται. εἰ ἐν ἀποστασίᾳ ἐπλημμελήσαμεν ἔναντι τοῦ κυρίου, μὴ ῥύσαιτο ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ. 23 καὶ εἰ ᾠκοδομήσαμεν ἑαυτοῖς βωμὸν ὥστε ἀποστῆναι ȧò κνрíοv Tоû beoû jμŵv, wσte avaßißáσai ἐπ' αὐτὸν θυσίαν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, ὥστε ποιῆσαι ἐπ ̓ αὐτοῦ θυσίαν σωτηρίου, κύριος ἐκζητήσει.

Au. Ver.-22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)

23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it.

The Lord God of gods.

Dr. A. Clarke.-The original words are exceedingly emphatic, and cannot be easily translated. mm baba, El Elohim Yehovah, are the three principal names by which the supreme God was known among the Hebrews, and may be thus translated,

Houb., Dathe, Horsley, Booth.-Let him [LXX, Vulg., Syr., Arab.] not save us this day.

Houb.-Lege, ne nos (Deus) servet incolumes. Sic legunt, præter Chaldæum, omnes Veteres, et sic vult, illud, Dominus requiret, in quod desinit, versus 24. Non ferendus Clericus, qui, cum non videret mutandum in sic est interpretatus: novit ille et Israel etiam intelligit, an rebellantes et delinquentes in Jehovam sic nos gesserimus (tum verò, ó Deus, ne nos hodie incolumes præstes), ita ut extruxerimus altare nobis, quâ parenthesi nihil contortius, et inusitatius. Nam tales imprecationes orationem solent, vel inchoare, vel absolvere.

Bp. Horsley.-22, 23, There is certainly some confusion in these two verses. It might be remedied by a transposition of the first six words of the 23d verse, prefixing to the fourth [] the word : thus,

22 יהוה הוא ידע וישראל הוא ידע לבנות לנו מזבח the Strong God, Elohim Jehovah, which is אם במרד ואם במעל ביהוה ואם לשוב מאחרי יהוה אל nearly the version of Luther, ber starcte Gott

23 ואם להעלות .c&

der Herr, "The strong God the LORD." And the Reubenites, by using these in their very solemn appeal, expressed at once their strong unshaken faith in the God of Israel; and by this they fully showed the deputation from the ten tribes, that their religious creed had not been changed; and in the succeeding part of their defence they show that their practice corresponded with their creed. The repetition of these solemn names by the Reubenites, &c., shows their deep concern for the honour of God, and their anxiety to wipe off the reproach which they consider cast on them by the supposition that they had been capable of defection from the pure worship of God, or of disaffection to their brethren.

Booth.-22 God of gods is Jehovah; the God of gods is Jehovah; himself knoweth our design; and Israel, &c.

Save us not this day.

Pool.-Save us not this day; thou, O Lord [so Le Clerc, Patrick, Rosen., Clarke], to whom we have appealed, and without whom we cannot be saved or preserved, save us not from any of our enemies, nor from the

[Houb., LXX, Vulg.]

22" AL Aleim Jehovah, Al Aleim Jehovah; let him know, and Israel let him know, concerning the building us an altar; if it was in rebellion or in transgression against Jehovah, or if [it was] for the purpose of turning from following Jehovah, let him not save us this day.

23 "Or if [it was] for the purpose of offering thereon burnt-offering," &c.

But what is the amount of the proposition so solemnly repeated at the beginning of the 22d verse, Aleim Jehovah is AL? It is calling the Omniscient God to witness their innocence. I agree with Mr. Parkhurst that the word, used as a title or name of God, is descriptive of the omnipresence and omniscience of the Divine Nature. And the accused tribes preface the asseveration of their innocence with a solemn recognition of this attribute.

Omnipresent and omniscient is God Jehovah. Omnipresent and omniscient is God Jehovah. Let him know," i. e., let him judge, &c.

Rosen.-22 Jam trans-Jordanicæ tribus, Dominus requirat. Saltum fecit decausam suam agere et ab omni crimine se scriptor ex, in quo verbo absolvitur purgare incipiunt. Initio statim Deum tes- versus 22, ad nih, omissis vocabulis tem advocant, se ab omni hujusmodi crimine,, deceptus litterâ eâdem, in quam cujus suspicione apud ceteras tribus labora- desinunt et " Verum nec veteres bant, immunes esse. Porro non quomodo- aliter ac nos legisse, nec omnino quicquam cunque Deum testem invocant, sed tribus in textu mutandum videtur. Subaudias inDei nominibus prolatis, iisdemque cum itio versus (coll. vs. 22 et 26), et magna emphasi secundo repetitis, omnia facile fluent si instituimus altare Potens, Deus, Jova. Ita distincte nobis erigere, ut a Jova deficeremus, jog)

עָלָיו עוֹלָה וּמִנְחָה וְאִם־לַעֲשׂוֹת עָלָיו זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים יְהוָה capienda esse hec nomina indicat Psilk post

primum et secundum nomen positum. Sunt,, et si fecimus illud offerre super eo qui D, Deus Deorum reddant; sed id holocausta et ferta, et si ereximus facere esset D, vid. e. c. Deut. x. 17. Ille super eo sacrificia gratiarum actionis; Jova novit, et Israel sciet, non solum Deus novit, ipse requirat a nobis pœnam, animadvertat sed universus Israelitarum coetus luculenter in nos. Verbum proprie quidem quæ-intelliget, nos nihil minus quam defectionem, rere significare constat. Sed quia sæpe aut sacra aliena cogitasse. Si per rebelli- quæstiones exercentur, ut meritæ possint onem, et si per perfidiam in Jovam scil. pœnæ sumi, factum est, ut pro pœnas , fecimus hoc, vs. 24. sumere, vindicare usurpetur; vid. e. c. Job. Accusatæ erant tribus trans-Jor

Ne salvos nos præstes hodie, o Deus, quem x. 16. nostrum servatorem et vindicem veneramur. danicæ, quod aram struxissent lege proDeum secundâ personâ tanquam præsentem hibitam, eaque re defecissent a sacri coetus appellant, eumque precantur ut se illico communione. Jam vero illi eas solas aras perdat, si tam improbi sint. Græcus Alex- contra legem poni definiunt, quæ faciendis andrinus reddit tertiâ personâ: un púσauro sacrificiis exstruantur, hanc autem ejusmodi ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ. Et Hieronymus: non esse. Commemorant autem tria prænon custodiat nos, sed puniat nos in præsenti. cipua sacrificiorum genera pro ceteris omniHubigantus quoque tertiam personam, bus. Primum est, quod ab ascendendo 1, ne servet nos legi vult. Minus scite, dictum, solet Græce vocari óókavσTOV et quum multo major in secunda persona, quam óλokaúтwμa, quasi solidum sacrificium dicas, in tertia, sit emphasis. Possent quidem hæc quia ignis victimam totam absumebat, atque verba: ne serves nos hodie, ad Pinehasum, sursum in cœlum per flammam fumumque tanquam legationis principem, dicta videri auferebat. Hujus lex perscripta est Levit. hoc sensu: non deprecamur quin vel hodie i. 3, seqq. Alterum est, proprie nos bello invadas, et lege agas, si tale facinus patravimus. Sed altera illa sententia tantis respondentium affectibus, quantos universâ ratione præ se ferunt, magis congruit.

23 Ad primum versus hemistichium, i Dim ond and map, ad ædificandum nobis altare ad convertendum, s. convertendo nos sequendo Jovam, Hubigantus hæc notat: "Contextum hic habemus mutilatum. Omnes veteres, præter unum Chaldæum, legunt et exprimunt c, et si, ante ni?. Sed neque id satis. Nam modus infinitivus

munus (coll. ¿, donavit), sed in usu est de sacrificio, quod Latine fertum dicitur. Erat ex simila et oleo confectum hoc sacrificium, qualia liba Græci vocant κáμμara. De eo vid. Levit. ii. 1, seqq. Tertium genus est

pa, victimæ retributionum, i. e., gratiarum actionis, eucharistica. Hæc cruenta quidem erant; sed nihil præter adipem, omentum, renes et jecoris fibram dabatur flammæ, reliquam carnem læti absumebant epulo sacrificantes. De his victimis agitur,

nihil habet in superioribus verbis, a quo re- Levit. iii.
gatur. Itaque addendum, quod legi-
tur in simili sententia vs. 26, et quod etiam

Ver. 24.

זאת לֵאמֹר מָחָר וְאִמְרוּ בְּנֵיכֶם לְבָנינו -legerunt Greci interpretes, qui protonica

לאמר וגו'

pev ædificavimus. Vulgatus ? legisse, non ni, cum sic convertit; et si ea mente fecimus. Nunc altera imprecatio ἀλλ ̓ ἕνεκεν εὐλαβείας ῥήματος ἐποιήσαμεν initium sumit his verbis: si adificavimus, ut τοῦτο, λέγοντες, ἵνα μὴ εἴπωσι αὔριον τὰ τέκνα desinente versu finem habeat in illis, vμov тoîs Téкvois Яμ@v. K.T.λ.

haud raro תַּבְנִית Sane

Au. Ver.-24 And if we have not rather fere sic reddunt: adspicite figuram, imadone it for fear of this thing, saying, In ginem ara Jove. time to come [Heb., to-morrow] your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?

Bp. Patrick. For fear of this thing.] The Hebrew word deaga (which we translate fear) signifies such anxiety in their mind as gave them much trouble, till they thought of this way to give themselves ease. Rosen.-24 Et si non potius ex sollicitudine

denotat imaginem, exemplar, ad cujus nor-
mam aliquid exstruitur, v. c. Exod. xxv.
Sed h. 1. non est de
9, 40; 2 Reg. xvi. 10.
figura sive exemplari altaris sermo, sed de
altari ipso. Quare Hieronymus recte ecce
alture Domini vertit. Est h. 1. a propria
sua significatione, structura (a) capien-
dum, ut Ps. cxliv. 12,, structura
palatii.

Ver. 29.

ex ea ratione, quam dicemus, fecimus hoc. the wee Abbo

haud raro rationem, causam denotat, ut Genes. xii. 17, 2, ob causam Saræ, propter Saram. Vid. et Genes. xx. 11, 18; xliii. 18., Dicendo, i. e., reputando, cogitando.

— ἴδετε ὁμοίωμα τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κυρίου, ὃ ἐποίησαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, κ.τ.λ.

Au. Ver.-28 Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made,

לָנוּ

בִּיהוָה

μὴ γένοιτο οὖν ἡμᾶς ἀποστραφῆναι ἀπὸ Kupiov év Ty σnμepor quéрa áлоσтhvaι àñò κυρίου, κ.τ.λ.

Au. Ver.-29 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, &c.

Rosen.-Verba

interpretum plures sic reddunt: absit a nobis rebellare in Jovam, ut Dativus sit otiosus, ut alias sæpe. Sed, proprie profanum, construi solet cum dativo personæ sequente cum infinitivo, ut Genes. xviii. 25 item, absit a te, ut agas ita; vid. et Genes. xliv. 7, 17, infra xxiv. 16. Videri igitur emphaseos causa additum possit. Sed Gesenius in Lexico interpretatur ab eo, pronomine suffixo ad Jovam relato, coll. 1 Sam. xxiv. 7, exsecratio mihi a Jova sit, si hoc fecero, vid. et 1 Sam. xxvi. 11; 1 Reg. xxi. 3, ut significatione primaria neglecta, exsecrationem va

leat. Hinc nostrum locum sic reddit: ræ nobis ab illo, Jova, si peccaremus contra Jovam.

Ver. 34.

וַיִּקְרְאוּ בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד לַמִּזְבֵּחַ ; not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices

כִּי־עֵד הוּא בִּינֹתֵינוּ כִּי יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים:

but it is a witness between us and you.

The pattern of the altar, &c.

Rosen. Hæc verba veteres et recentiores

καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν Ἰησοῦς τὸν βωμὸν τῶν

Ρουβὴν καὶ τῶν Γὰδ καὶ τοῦ ἡμίσους φυλῆς Μανασσῆ, καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι μαρτύριόν ἐστιν ἀναμέσον αὐτῶν, ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν ἐστι.

redderent, nomine subaudiendo expresso. Quia testis est hoc altare inter nos quod Jova est Deus, i. e., quod nos æque ac vos Jovam Deum colimus. Arabicus interpres, quod Allah, Jova, sit Deus verus. Syrus, ut Dominus solus sit Deus. : In pluribus codici

Au. Ver.-34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed [that is, a witness] for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

Called the altar Ed.

Ken.-Nothing can be more clear than that the name of the altar is here omitted. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, called the altar for it shall be a witness between us that the Lord is God. necessary word Ed; which, however, in an English translation, had been better ex

, כִּי יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים : ita הוּא bus legitur inserto

plane ut 1 Reg. xviii. 39, repetita vice.

CHAP. XXIII. 2.

Officers. See notes on Numb. xi. 16.

Ver. 4.

רְאוּ הִפַּלְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים Our translators have inserted the הָאֵלֶּה בְּנַחֲלָה לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּן וְכָל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִכְרַתִּי וְהַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל pressed by Witness. The word here omitted

ἴδετε ὅτι ἐπέῤῥιφα ὑμῖν τὰ ἔθνη τὰ καταλε

Au. Ver.-4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward [Heb., at the sunset].

Ged.-4 Lo! I have, by lot, shared out among you the remaining nations, from the Jordan unto the great western sea, to be inherited by your tribes, as well as all the nations which I have already extirpated.

has the authority of seventeen Hebrew copies; with the Syriac and Arabic versions. See Gen. Diss., p. 24. Rosen. Et appellarunt Rubenita et Gad- λειμμένα ὑμῖν ταῦτα ἐν τοῖς κλήροις εἰς τὰς ita illud altare testem, s. testimonium, φυλὰς ὑμῶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου πάντα τὰ quod subaudiendum e verbis quæ proxime ἔθνη καὶ ἐξωλόθρευσα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης sequuntur, &, et indicatum est supra Ts peyáλns ópieî éñì dvoμàs ýλíov. vs. 27, 28. In codicibus nonnullis et in pluribus editionibus seculi quindecim et sexdecim, quos diligenter enumeravit De Rossi, illud vel legitur in textu, vel in margine suppletur, et in aliis quidem post nare, in aliis ante id nomen, quod minus probandum, quum nomen id, quod rei alicui imponitur, ejus nomini postponi soleat, ut Genes. i. 5, Di, appellavit lucem diem; vid. et vs. 8. Nostrum scriptorem nomen non expressisse, sed lectoribus supplendum reliquisse, inde colligitur, quod jam Græcus Alexandrinus illud non legit, qui ceterum verborum Hebræorum sensum non recte percepit. Sic enim illa reddidit: appellavit Josua aram Rubenitarum et Gaditarum, et dimidiæ tribus Manasse. Nec Hieronymum legisse, ostendit hæc sua integri versus interpretatio: vocaruntque filii Ruben et filii Gad altare quod exstruxerant : testimonium nostrum, quod Dominus ipse sit Deus. In Chaldaicæ interpretationis codi- A Jordane. Vidit Masius, non bonam esse cibus longe plerisque non expressum est; verborum collocationem. Nempe hæc quod autem in nonnullis codicibus legitur series, dedi vobis gentes reliquas à Jordane, , testis ante (vid. Kennicotti et omnes gentes, quas deleri, quasi digito Dissertat. ., super ratione text. Hebr., monstrat non suo loco esse a Jordanè inter p. 173), pro glossemate est habendum. gentes reliquas et omnes gentes. Series legiSyrus 120, testimonium, et Arabs tima est, gentes reliquas, et omnes eas, quas delevi à Jordane, quem ordinem nos in nostrâ versione persequimur. Proptereà Josue commemorat primo loco gentes eas, quæ restant debellandæ, quia mox pro

, testem addidit, non quod legerunt, sed ut boni interpretes, qui sensum perspicue

Booth.--4 Behold, I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations that I have cut off from the Jordan even unto the great western sea.

Houb.-Nunc igitur, quoniam tribubus vestris dedi pro hæreditate eos populos qui restant, ut et omnes eos, quos delevi à Jordanè, usque ad mare magnum, ad occasum solis.

missurus est, Deum pro Israelitis, ut eas | [or, then the LORD will drive] out from subjiciant, pugnaturum, si obedientiam Deo before you great nations and strong: but as debitam præstabunt, nec non denuntiaturus, for you, no man hath been able to stand Deum se de illis, per eas gentes, ulturum, si before you unto this day.

Bp. Horsley.-Rather, Then will Jehovah drive. But as for you no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. For 7, rageous to keep and to do all that is written of Kennicott's, ; and at the end of the I would read, with Vulgate, and one MS.

ותם quia non dubitamus, quin sit legendum וְלֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם:

וַיּוֹרֶשׁ יְהוָה מִפְּנֵיכֶם גּוֹיִם גְּדֹלִים -quod viderent in mendo positumn, vel cir וַעֲצוּמִים וְאַתֶּם לֹא עָמַד אִישׁ בִּפְנֵיכֶם

καὶ ἐξολοθρεύσει αὐτοὺς κύριος ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν ἔθνη μεγάλα καὶ ἰσχυρά. καὶ Rosen.-, Et vos quod attinet, nomiovdeìs ávtéσty katevάiov ýμŵv ëws Tns hué-nativus, quem dicunt, absolutus. ρας ταύτης. , Non stabit vir in conspectu vestro,

Au. Ver.-9 For the LORD hath driven nemo vobis resistere poterit.