Minstrel.-(75 m2naggen) literally, one playing on an instrument of music—a player on an instrument.

The minstrel played.-Literally, the player played. The term minstrel is a word introduced into England by the Normans, and included singers, performers on musical instruments, also jugglers, dancers, and other similar persons whose profession was to amuse kings, or others who could pay them for their services. In some periods of history they are represented as the friends and favorites of princes, and at other periods they are classed with beggars and vagabonds, and forbidden to practise their arts. Among the Hebrews, as we think from the etymology of the word, they were performers on musical instruments, and perhaps sung an accompaniment at the same time.

II KINGS ix. 13.

Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

Elisha directed one of the sons of the prophets to go to Ramoth Gilead and anoint Jehu king over Israel. He did so, and Jehu's attendants blew the shophar or crooked trumpet, and proclaimed him king. In the original the singular number is used, though reference is made to more than one trumpet.

II KINGS XI. 14.

And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and

Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, treason!

Athaliah had usurped the throne of Israel, and to secure her authority had slain all the seed royal of David that she could find. It happened, however, that Joash, the son of Ahaziah, who had been concealed, was proclaimed king, and it is not strange that Athaliah cried treason. The occasion was an im

portant one, and trumpeters were present.

Blew with trumpets, i. e., with straight trumpets (hatsotseroth, vid. Rem. on Num. x. 2, supra).

II KINGS Xii. 13.

Howbeit, there were not made for the house of the Lord bowls of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold or vessels of silver of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord.

Trumpets-(hatsotseroth) straight trumpets. In repairing the temple, it seems that the trumpets and other implements, here named, were not made of the money which was brought into the house of the Lord, as that was designed to pay the workmen laboring upon the temple itself. Perhaps some of these implements had been previously made, or were constructed out of other materials.

THE BOOKS OF CHRONICLES.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

The Jews called these books

dibhrey hayya

mïm, i. e., the words of the days or annals, probably because they were compiled from diaries or annals. The LXX designate them by ПАРАЛЕІПОMENA Paraleipomena, the things left or omitted, supposing them to be a supplement either to Samuel and the book of Kings, or to the whole Bible. Jerome gave them the name of Chronicles, because they contain an abstract of sacred history up to the time in which they were written.

They were undoubtedly compiled from other records, prepared at different times before and after the Babylonish captivity, as it is evident that they are not the original and more copious chronicles to which there are so frequent references in the books of Kings.

It is uncertain who wrote the Chronicles. It is evident, however, that they were compiled by some person who lived after the captivity, and that he obtained his materials from the memoirs of writers contemporary with the events recorded, and who flourished long before his time.

The object of the books of Chronicles is to present accurately the genealogies, dignity, powers, and order of the priests and Levites, that they might be prepared after the captivity to assume again their proper rank, and reënter the sacred office. The author wished further to show how the lands had been distributed among the families before the captivity, so that the tribes could, upon their return, obtain the original inheritance of their fathers. Ancient

records are quoted, and four rolls or numberings of the people are recited.

The Chronicles are an abridgment of sacred history, but especially during that period which elapsed between the first establishment of the Jewish nation and their return from the first captivity.

The first book describes the rise and propagation of the people of Israel, and subsequently gives a particular account of the reign and transactions of David. In the second book the narrative is continued. The progress and dissolution of the kingdom of Judah, up to the year of the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, are described. The period embraced in Chronicles is about 3468 years.

I CHRONICLES vi. 31-33.

31 And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had rest. 32 And they ministered before the dwelling-place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem: and then they. waited on their office according to their order. 33 And these are they that waited, with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites; Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel.

These verses refer to the arrangements in the tabernacle, and first temple built by Solomon. After the ark was removed from the house of Obed-edom (II Sam. vi. 7), and deposited in the tabernacle erected by David (I Chron. xvi. 1), the king appointed suitable persons to sing and play upon musical instruments before that sacred treasure.

With singing (v. 32). The Septuagint renders this v opyávois en organois, on organs, thus indicating that musical instruments were used. The Hebrew term is properly translated in the English version, though it is doubtless true that those who ministered before the ark not only sung, but performed upon instruments of music. David appointed four thousand of the Levites to be singers before the ark in the tabernacle, and the arrangement was subsequently confirmed. by Solomon, after the temple was completed (II Chron. viii. 14).

I CHRONICLES ix. 33.

And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.

It appears that there were services in the tabernacle at night as well as during the day. We read in I Chron. xxiii. 30, of the Levites standing every morning and evening in the tabernacle to thank and praise the Lord. The lamps of the golden candlesticks were lighted at evening, and kept burning during the night. There were morning and evening sacrifices, and the Levites were in constant attendance, in the temple, day and night, and ready to perform by turns any required service. The singers seem to have been persons of influence, as they are called "chief of the fathers of the Levites."

I CHRONICLES Xiii. 8.

And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.