der the power which the Philistines once possessed, and the armies they brought into the field; although their country was scarce forty English miles in length, and much longer than it was broad.

6. Ho! sword of JEHOVAH !] The Babylonish monarch seems to be here addressed by this title, as the Assyrian was by that of "the rod of God's anger," Isai. x. 5. such conquerors being the appointed execu tioners of the divine judgments. Compare Ezek. xiv. 17. xxi. 3, &c. Ibid.-Return-] -See Note on Ch. vi. 16.

7. How can it be at rest] It is obvious from the context that pwn is here improperly repeated in the second person, and that we ought to read pwn in the third person; as all the ancient versions have done.

CHAP. XLVIII.

1. CONCERNING MOAB] The following prophecies concerning the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and other neighbouring nations, are supposed to have been fulfilled about the same time with that concerning the Philistines in the preceding Chapter, namely, during the siege of Tyre. See Usher's Annals, An. Mundi 3419. Joseph. Ant. Lib. x. Cap. ix. Edit. Huds. With respect to the time of the delivery of these prophecies, see the prefatory Note on Ch. xlvii.

Many passages and expressions will be found in this Chapter, which Jeremiah hath borrowed from a prophecy of Isaiah, Ch. xv. and xvi. concerning a like calamity which befel Moab, in all probability when Shalmaneser king of Assyria seized upon their cities and fortresses, and ravaged their country, on his march through it to invade the kingdom of Israel. By comparing the parallel places much light may be mutually thrown upon them, and, as Bp. Lowth thinks, several mistakes in the present Text of both Prophets may be rectified.

Ibid. the high fortress-] ---Our Translators have here rendered, "Misgab," as the proper name of a city. But we find no mention any where else of a city of Moab of that name. From the article prefixed I am induced to think that aw is an appellative, and applied to Kirjathaim, (if the text stand as at present) which by a repetition is said to be confounded, "high fortress though it were," and broken down, notwithstanding the strength of its situation. In the

,is rendered המשגב וחתה הבישח ,Roman Edition of the LXX

noxvvdn auad nai ayad. What aμax xai ayad can mean, I know not. But in the Alexand. Edition we find instead of these words, auad to κραταίωμα, και ηττήθη. In MS Pachom. το οχυρωμα Μωαβ, και ηττήθη, And perhaps we may not unreasonably suspect a double error to have crept into the text, and that for wan we ought to read w where the has been added by mistake arising from the next word beginning with ; and that for n we should read nn, as the conversive seems to require. Thus corrected, the text might be rendered in a direct manner,

The high fortress is confounded and broken down›

"The high fortress" might mean either Kirjathaim beforementioned, or any other high fortress of Moab, as MS. Pachom. suggests.

2.-in Heshbon; They have devised-] There is a Paranomasia in these words, aw pawn; a figure in which the Hebrew writers seem much to delight. Another occurs presently after in this verse, ' 1. signifies, "thou shalt be made speechless" with grief and astonishment; See Note on Ch. xlvii. 5.

3. A cry is heard from Horonaim] Literally The voice of a cry," which is an Hebraism, and means what is expressed in the version. See note on Ch. x. 22.

4. Her diminished ones-] For the Masoretes have substituted, and are countenanced by nineteen MSS. and three Editions. The LXX render, siç Zoyoga, which leads one to think that they had found, or supposed, the reading to be 1, answering to

, Isai. xv. 5. But I see no reason to suspect an error in the re

צעירים י; her diminished ones * צעוריה ceived reading of the Text

being the participle Pahul from y, and signifying persons reduced or made little, either in number, or in circumstances; as was the case of the Moabites, who are represented as having suffered in both from the hostilities that had been exercised against them.

5.---at the ascent of Luhith-] For n sixteen MSS. and one Edition read with the Masoran, as Isai. xv. 5. and eighteen MSS. and three Editions, n'n. At Luhith the hill country of Moab appears to have begun, and here the people are represented as mounting the hill successively in their flight before the enemy, weeping as they follow one after another. So that from hence the text in Isaiah may more probably be corrected by reading for 2, “Weeping shall go up after weeping." At Horonaim they again descended into the plain; where, it is said, "mine enemies" (God is the speaker) "have heard a cry of destruction." God calls the Moabites" his enemies," as bearing them a grudge for the malevolence expressed by them towards his people, the Jews, and for their insolence towards himself; see ver. 26. 42. Ezek. xxv. 8. 9. Zeph. ii. 8. 9, 10,-In Isaiah is not found, and 1 (perhaps a mistake for 1) stands in the place of raw. But these variations may have been by design.

6.- And be like a blasted tree-]. That is, a tree stripped of its foliage. A proper emblem of one robbed of all his fortune, and just able to escape with life by fleeing into the desart.

7.-And Chemosh-] For win the Masora reads win as at ver. 13. and twenty seven MSS. and five Editions, with all the ancient versions, confirm the emendation. Also for the Masora reads 1777); which is likewise confirmed by twenty MSS. and three Editions, besides five MSS. which have a letter erased at the end of 17.

11.- he hath settled upon his lees] All wines, it is said, ought to be kept for some time upon their lees, in order to preserve their strength and flavour; on which account the lees are expressed by a word that

signifies the preservers. Wine is apt to be damaged by being drawn off too soon into other vessels. By this allegory therefore Moab is represented as having enjoyed singular advantages from having constantly remained in his own country, ever since he became a people. See Bishop Lowth's excellent Note on Isa. xxv. 6.

12. Nevertheless-] here may signify Nevertheless, or it may be rendered, After this. See Note on Ch. xvi. 14.

7707

Ibid.-tilters, that shall tilt him down] Our translators have render、 ed, "wanderers that shall cause him to wander ;" and the same idea of wandering or travelling is elsewhere supposed to belong to ; but, I think, without any good grounds. The true significa tion of this verb may rather be derived from the Arabic, o, inclinavit or from destruxit, humiliavit, solo æquavit. The former of these is peculiarly used to signify the tilting or lowering, of a cask, or jar, in order to draw out the contents. Accordingly the LXX. here render, κλίνοντας, και κλινουσιν αυτον. The Vulgate, stratores laguncularum, et sternent eum. See Note on Ch. ii. 20. The allegory therefore begun in the preceding verse is here continued, and by Y tilters, the Chaldeans are designed, who should lower the vessels of Moab, namely, the cities, and empty them, and also break to pieces their bottles or pitchers, that is destroy the lesser towns and villages, dependant on the cities: to which the bottles or pitchers answer, being filled with the redundancy of the larger vessels.-In confirmation of the above etymology we may observe, how much better a sense is supplied from thence, than that which our translators have given in two places of Isaiah, where the word y occurs. In Isai. li. 14. Y is rendered "the captive exile; but it seems rather to be the participle Pahul which should be written at large ; and signifies prostratus. "the wretch depressed" by misfortunes, or by violent oppression; and thus "the oppressor, " of whom it was asked in the preceding verse, "What is become of the fury of the oppressor?" In reply to which question it follows very aptly, that the cause being removed, the effect would cease; "the poor afflicted sufferer" should soon be released, now that the oppressor was no more.---Again, Isaiah Ixiii. 1. 12 272 is rendered in our Bible, "travelling in the greatness of his strength." Would it not be much more suitable to the context, "subduing," or "hambling" his enemies "by his mighty power?"

המציק stands opposed to

13.---Bethel---] That is, the calf set up there for an object of divine worship, to which the Israelites trusted for protection. 1 Kings xii. 28. 29. Hos. x. 6.

15. A spoiler of Moab, &c. ] The conqueror of Moab is here represented as having gained an eminence above her, and from thence sending down the choice of his troops to massacre those below.---If the distinction of gender in the affix pronouns be attended to, this explanation of the words will be found necessary, and will clear up every difficulty in the construction. Six MSS. read 771, as at ver 18.

18.

Come down from splendour, and sit in thirst-] Thirst is here put in a general sense for a want of the necessaries of life. Some have supposed that x may signify the same as , a dry, parched, thirsty, land. If so, as her former situation might be figured by sitting on a splendid throne, so her present misery by sitting on the ground. See Isai. iii. 26. But the other interpretation seems most natural.--For 2w, the Masora, and twenty, perhaps twenty too, MSS. and three Editions read w; which reading is confirmed by all the ancient ver

sions.

20.---he is broken down] As Moab is here masculine, being the subject of wan, and is the subject of n too, I am inclined to think that for n we should read nn, and that the was added at the end by mistake owing to the next word beginning with that See the same again, ver. 39.

letter.

Ibid. Howl ye, and cry; For

and pr the Masora reads

and ; חלליו Seven iiISS. and one Edition read וזעקו and הלילו

eight, perhaps ten, MSS. and three Editions, b. Twelve MSS. and four Editions read pr. All the ancient versions, except the LXX, express these verbs in the plural number. But the LXX. not only render both these verbs singular, but also 17, as if they had read 7277. 21.-Mephaath-] For ny the Masora reads ny, and so do sixteen, perhaps seventeen, MSS. and three Editions. The Chaldee also expresses the name here, as both, the Hebrew and Chaldee text, Josh. xxi. 37. The Chaldee is also uniform, Josh. xiii. 18. But in the Hebrew Text there we find non without the ; but twenty two MSS. and three Editions there also read nyan.

26. Make him drunken--] 177w-This is certainly the singular number, although the LXX. Syr. and Vulg. with our English translators, have rendered in the plural, as if they had read, 'wn, which is indeed the reading of seven MSS. and one Edition. But the Chaldee has retained the singular number, and, I think, rightly, the address being made to any one indefinitely; and poor is also the second person singular in the imperative likewise; the same person being commanded to clap hands at Moab, as pointing him out to scorn and ridicule in his despicable condition. This is the proper sense of p, which indeed is generally followed by a noun expressing the hands; but not always; see Job xxxiv. 37.

27.---Was he found--] For : nine MSS. and three Editions,

.נמצא with the Masora, read

Ibid.---That thou shouldst insult him with all the power of thy words] Our Translators have rendered 77, "thou skippedst for joy;" but this seems quite foreign to the purpose; and besides, the verb is in the future. 277 signifies properly, according to the power, or sufficiency, of thy words, and 77, thou shalt, or shouldest, move, or bestir thyself. And the sense of all taken together is very apt and suitable. Didst thou find Israel among thieves, coming to rob thee of thy property, that thou shouldst think thyself entitled to break out into all manner of revilings against him?" Compare Ezek. xxv. 8. Zeph. ii.

8, 10. The LXX. and Syr. render 7, "that thou shouldest make war upon him ;" but they have omitted 27; otherwise the sense would not differ essentially from what I have proposed. Mr Lowth has suggested another, though, I think, a less probable translation; "For the words thou hast spoken against him thou shalt be carried captive." This agrees with the Chaldee Paraphrase.

28.-by the sides of the pit's mouth] That is, on the edge of the precipice. The mouth of the pit is the same as the brink of destruction; the pit or grave yawning wide, as it were, ready to swallow one up. And the image is peculiarly striking, when a person from the side of a steep rock looks down into a deep gulph below. The Moabites are exhorted to retire for safety to such places, where the apprehensions of danger would secure them from the enemy's pursuit. That doves build in the clefts or natural hollows of a rock, see Cant. ii. 14. Dr Shaw in his Travels p. 162. fol. mentions a city on the African coast, called Hamam-et, from the number of wild pigeons (Hamam) that are bred in the cliffs of the adjacent mountains.

29, 30.] There are several words in these two verses, which are not to be found in the parallel passage, Isa. xvi. 6. But in the main they agree; and while they describe the overweening pride and insolence of Moab, and the intemperance of his rage, they intimate the small pretensions he had for such high assuming, either in respect of the extent of his power, or of his actual performance.

30.-he is not alike in the extent of his ability] refers to in the preceding verse;" he is not so," that is, alike supereminent--172 signifies according to the measure, or extent of his power; see Note on Ch. xxxvi. 18. The LXX. according to MS. Pachom. render it, HATA TO IXAVOY AUTE-" he is not so," alike supereminent, "in performing." is the infinitive mood used gerundively, faciendo, or, quoad faciendum.

verse.

31.--Shall Jaazer make moan inarticulately through weeping] I have not the least doubt that the subject of is to be found in , which has been improperly separated from it, and, together with the preceding word 2, assigned to the beginning of the following Nor is it difficult to perceive that the mistake has arisen from exacting a greater conformity between this passage and its parallel one, Isa. xvi. than was ever intended. For though Jeremiah has condescended to borrow not only the sentiments, but also the words of his predecessor, he has not tied himself down to observe the same order in their construction, as will abundantly appear from examining the two passages together. properly signifies to utter a confused imperfect sound, as those do whose voice is broken with grief and weeping: " from," or "because of weeping," is therefore added to it emphatically. And Jaazer, one of the cities of Moab, Num. xxxii. 3. is by a beautiful fiction of poetry represented as 'condoling in such a piteous moan with the citizens of Kir-heres on the misfortunes of their country. Kir-heres or Kir-haraseth, appears to have been once the capital, or at least the strongest of the cities of Moab, 2 Kings iii. 25.

,מבכי