and were taken into their employ; and when subsequently they were elevated to some new station, and crowned with additional honours, Gen. xli. 45; xvii. 5; xxxii. 28; xxxv. 10; 2 Kings, xxiii. 34, 35; xxiv. 17; Dan. i. 7; John, i. 42; Mark, iii. 17. Hence a NAME, (a new name) occurs figuratively, as a token or proof of distinction and honour in the following among other passages, Philip. ii. 9; Heb. i. 4; Rev. ii. 17. Sometimes the names of the dead were changed; for instance that of ABEL, (a word which signifies breath, or something transitory ;) given to him after his death in allusion to the shortness of his life, Gen. iv. 2-8. Sometimes PROPER NAMES are translated into other languages, losing their original form, while they preserve their signification. This appears to have been the case with the proper names which occur in the first eleven chapters of Genesis, and which were translated into the Hebrew from a language still more ancient. The orientals in some instances, in order to distinguish themselves from others of the same name, added to their own names, the names of their fathers, grandfathers, and even great grandfathers.

§. 165. CONCERNING THE FIRST-BORN,

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The first-born, the best-beloved child of his parents, was denominated by way of eminence, D, the opening of the womb. In case a man married a widow, who by a previous marriage had become the mother of children, the first-born, as respected the second husband, was the child that was eldest by the second marriage. Before the time of Moses, the father might, if he chose, transfer the right of primogeniture to a younger child; but the practice occasioned much contention, Gen. xxv. 31, 32; and a law was enacted overruling it, Deut. xxi. 15-17.

The first-born inherited peculiar rights and privileges.

I. He received a double portion of the estate. Jacob, in the case of Reuben, his first-born, bestowed his additional portion upon Joseph, by adopting his two sons, Gen. xlviii. 5-8; Deut. xxi. 17. This was done as a reprimand, and a punishment of his incestuous conduct, Gen. xxxv. 22; but Reuben, notwithstanding, was enrolled as the first-born in the genealogical registers, 1 Chron. v. 1.

II. The first-born was the priest of the whole family. The

honour of exercising the priesthood was transferred, by the command of God communicated through Moses, from the tribe of Reuben, to whom it belonged by right of primogeniture, to that of Levi, Numb. iii. 12—18; viii. 18. In consequence of this fact, that God had taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the first-born, to serve him as priests, the first-born of the other tribes were to be redeemed, at a valuation made by the priest not exceeding five shekels, from serving God in that capacity, Numb. xviii. 15, 16, comp. Luke, ii. 22,

et seq.

III. The first-born enjoyed an authority over those who were younger, similar to that possessed by a father, Gen. xxv. 23, et seq.; 2 Chron. xxi. 3; Gen. xxvii, 29; Exod. xii, 29, which was transferred in the case of Reuben by Jacob their father to Judah, Gen. xlix. 8-10. The tribe of Judah, accordingly, even before it gave kings to the Hebrews, was every where distinguished from the other tribes. In consequence of the authority, which was thus attached to the first-born, he was also made the successor in the kingdom. There was an exception to this in the case of Solomon, who, though a younger brother, was made his successor by David at the special appointment of God. From these facts it may be seen how the word first-born came to express the highest dignity, Is. xiv. 30; Ps. lxxxix. 27; Rom. viii. 29; Col. i. 15-18; Heb. xii. 23; Rev. i. 5, 11; Job, xviii. 13.

§. 166. THE Nurture of Children.

Mothers, in the earliest times, suckled, ?, their offspring themselves, until they were from thirty months to three years of age. The day on which the child was weaned was a festival, Gen. xxi. 8; Exod. ii. 7, 9; 1 Sam. i. 22-24; 2 Chron. xxxi. 16; 2 Mac. vii. 27, 28; Matt. xxi. 16; Josephus, Antiq. xi. 9.

Nurses, ip, were employed, in case the mother died before the child was old enough to be weaned, and when from any circumstances she was unable to afford a sufficient supply of milk for its nourishment.

In later ages, when matrons had become more delicate, and thought themselves too infirm to fulfil the duties which naturally devolved upon them, nurses were employed to take their place,

and were reckoned among the principal members of the family. They are, accordingly, in consequence of the respectable station which they sustained, frequently mentioned in sacred history, Gen. xxxv. 8; 2 Kings, xi. 2; 2 Chron. xxii. 11.

The sons remained till the fifth year in the care of the women; they then came into the father's hands, and were taught not only the arts and duties of life, but were instructed in the Mosaic law, and in all parts of the religion of their country, Deut. vi. 20-25; xi. 19. Those who wished to have them further instructed, either employed private teachers, or sent them to some priest or Levite, who sometimes had a number of other children under his care, It appears from 1 Sam. i. 24-28, that there was a school near the holy tabernacle, dedicated to the instruction of youth. There had been formerly many other schools of this kind, which had fallen into discredit, but were restored by the prophet Samuel; after whose time the members of the seminaries in question, who were denominated by way of distinction the sons of the prophets, acquired much celebrity.

The daughters rarely departed from the apartments appropriated to the females, except when they went out with an urn, 12, to draw water, which was the practice with those who belonged to those humbler stations in life, in which the ancient simplicity of manners was still retained, Gen. xxiv. 16; xxix. 10; Exod. ii. 16; 1 Sam. ix. 11, 12; John, iv. 7. They spent their time in learning those domestic and other arts, which are befitting a woman's situation and character, until they arrived at that period in life when they were to be sold; or, by a better fortune, given away in marriage, Prov. xxxi. 13; 2 Sam. xiii. 7. The daughters of such as possessed rank and wealth spent the greater part of their time within the walls of their palaces, and, in imitation of their mothers, amused themselves with dressing, singing, and dancing. Sometimes their apartments were the scenes of vice, Ezek. xxiii. 18. They went abroad very rarely, as before mentioned; but they received with cordiality female visitants. The virtues of a good woman, of one determined, whatever her station might be, to discharge each incumbent duty, and to avoid the frivolities and vices, at which we have hinted, are mentioned in terms of praise in Proverbs, xxxi. 10–31.

§. 167. THE Power of the Father.

The authority, to which a father was entitled, extended not only to his wife, to his own children, and to his servants of both sexes, but to his children's children also. It was anciently the custom for sons newly married to remain at their father's house, unless they had married an heiress; or had acquired sufficient property to enable them to support their own family. It might of course be expected, while they lived in their father's house, and were in a manner the pensioners on his bounty, that he would exercise his authority over the children of his sons, as well as over the sons themselves.

If it be asked, "What the power of the father was in such a case," the answer is, that it had no narrow limits, and, whenever he found it necessary to resort to measures of severity, he was at liberty to inflict the extremity of punishment, Gen. xxi. 14; xxxviii. 24. This power was so restricted by Moses, that the father, if he judged the son worthy of death, was bound to bring the cause before a judge. But he enacted at the same time, that the judge should pronounce sentence of death upon the son, if on inquiry it could be proved that he had beaten or cursed his father or mother; that he was an idle, worthless spendthrift; or stubborn and rebellious, saucy, and could not be reformed, Exod. xxi. 15, 17; Lev. xx. 9; Deut. xxi. 18-21. The authority of the parents, and the service and love due to them, are recognised in the most prominent and fundamental of the moral laws of the Jewish polity, viz. the ten commandments, Exod. xx. 12.

The son, who had acquired property, was commanded to show his gratitude to his parents, not only by words, but by gifts also, Matt. xv. 5, 6; Mark, vii. 11–13. The power of the father over his offspring in ancient times was not only very great for the time being, and whilst they sojourned with him; but he was permitted also to cast his eye into the future, and his prophetic curse or blessing possessed no little efficacy, Gen. xlix. 2-28.

§. 168. OF THE TESTAMENT OR WILL.

1. As it respected sons. The property or estate of the father fell after his decease into the possession of his sons; who divided it among themselves equally, with this exception, that the eldest son received two portions. The father expressed his last wishes

or will in the presence of witnesses, and probably in the presence of the heirs, 2 Kings, xx. 1. At a recent period the will was made in writing.

II. As it respected the sons of concubines. The portion that was given to the sons of concubines, depended altogether upon the feelings of the father. Abraham gave presents, to what amount is not known, both to Ishmael, and to the sons whom he had by Keturah, and sent them away before his death. It does not appear that they had any other portion in the estate. But Jacob made the sons whom he had by his concubines heirs, as well as the others, Gen. xxi. 9-21; xxv. 1-6; xlix. 1–27. Moses laid no restrictions upon the choice of fathers in this respect and we may infer, that the sons of concubines, for the most part, received an equal share with the other sons, from the fact, that Jephthah, the son of a concubine, complained that he was excluded from his father's house without any portion, Judges, xi. 1-7.

:

III. As it respected daughters. The daughters not only had no portion in the estate, but if they were unmarried were considered as making a part of it, and were sold by their brothers into matrimony. In case there were no brothers, or they all had died, they took the estate, Numb. xxvii. 1-8. If any one died intestate, and without any offspring, the property was disposed of according to Numb. xxvii. 8—11.

IV. As it respected servants. The servants or the slaves in a family could not claim any share in the estate as a right; but the person who made a will, might, if he chose, make them his heirs, comp. Gen. xv. 3. Indeed, in some instances, those who had heirs recognised as such by the law, did not deem it unbecoming to bestow the whole, or a portion of their estates, on faithful and deserving servants, Prov. xvii. 2.

V. As it respected widows. The widow of the deceased, like his daughters, had no legal right to a share in the estate. The sons, however, or other relations, were bound to afford her an adequate maintenance, unless it had been otherwise arranged in the will. She sometimes returned to her father's house, particularly if the support, which the heirs gave her, was not such as had been promised, or was not sufficient, Gen. xxxviii. 11; compare also the story of Ruth. The prophets frequently exclaim against the neglect and injustice shown to widows, Is. i. 17; x. 2;