ceeding member of the sentence after 11 should be connected with it by the particle, as may be seen in the following instances among many others; 1 Kings i. 14, 22. Esth. vi. 14. Job i. 16, 17, 18. Psal. lxxviii. 30, 31. &c. &c. From hence I am led to conjecture, that the in is a corruption, not of a single Vau, but of two Vaus, the latter of which ought to be prefixed to man, where, by its conversive forcé, it not only clears the passage from all difficulty, but brings the text into a perfect agreement with the LXX. Syr. and Vulgate yersions.

,צעירינו

18.---our steps---] The LXX. instead of y seem to have read our little ones."---But the present text seems unexceptionable. It is probable that the engines of war are here alluded to, which being played off from the enemies mounts, that overlooked the city, made it unsafe for the citizens to pass along the streets. See Jer. xxxii. 24.---For 1p a number of MSS. in both instances read 1987. But the present text is preferable.

19. Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles---] Compare Deutxxviii. 49. Jer. iv. 13.

Ibid.--they chased us---] Fifty two MSS. and one Edition read

ידלקונן

20. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of JEHOVAH] Zedekiah's fate is, no doubt, here alluded to, upon whose being taken prisoner, all the hopes, which the people had entertained of living safe under his protection, fell of course to the ground. To live among the nations probably means to exist in a national capacity, or as one among them.

21. Rejoice and be glad---] An ironical mode of address, like that, Eccles. xi. 9. The Edomites, we find, had with a malicious joy exulted over the ruin of their brethren the Jews, see Psal. cxxxvii. 7. Obad. 10,-12. Their turn of suffering the like calamities is foretold, see note on Jer. xlix. 7.

Ibid.---the cup---] See note on Jer. xxv. 15. By intoxication is probably meant that judicial infatuation of mind, which leads men to commit such extravagant and indiscreet actions, as unavoidably expose them to ruin. Quos Deus vult perdere, dementat prius.

22. Thy punishment is at an end---] That v signifies punishment or suffering for sin, see ver. 6. Ch. v. 7. and note on Jer. li. 6. The sense of this line is manifest; the daughter of Sion is comforted with an assurance, that she had already undergone her whole punishment, and consequently had nothing more to apprehend. This will therefore tend to explain the following line, where an opposition is clearly intended. To on "thy punishment is completed," or "ended," is opposed, "thy punishment visiteth," or, is coming upon thee; and as it follows in the first line, bank, "it" (or "he," meaning God) "shall not cause thee any more to go into cap tivity;" so in the second line must also be understood of " going into captivity," that being the allotted punishment in one case, as well as in the other.

CHAP. V.

In the Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic versions, this Chapter is entitled, THE PRAYER OF JEREMIAH. But no such Title appears in the Hebrew copies, or in the LXX. It is rather a memorial, representing, in the name of the whole body of Jewish exiles, the many and grievous hardships they groaned under, and humbly intreating God to commiserate their wretchedness, and to restore them once more to his favour, and to their ancient prosperity. The whole may be considered as an epilogue, or conclusion, well adapted to the contents of the preceding Chapters.

1.---Look down---] Forty one MSS. and four Editions read with the Masora, an, with the paragogic.

3.--and without father---] Twenty three MSS. and four Editions read with the Masora 1, and four MSS. have the rasure of a letter

.אין before

.צוארנו

66

5. With the yoke of our necks are we continually burthened --] Thirty five MSS. and two editions read 1, our necks," instead of . Symmachus renders y," a yoke,"。 Cuyos. 7 signifies to follow or accompany a person wherever he goes. So Deut, xxviii. 22, 45. the plagues and curses sent by God, it is said, should pursue, or continually attend upon, the disobedient to their utter ruin.

Ibid.---and no rest---] Thirty seven MSS. and four editions, with the Masora, read .

6. O Egypt, we have submitted ourselves] Our Translators have rendered, "We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the As

as,אשור or מצרים Syrians. But there is no preposition prefixed to

there ought to be, in order to justify such a translation. But the proper translation I conceive to be as I have represented; the people having complained in the last verse of the hardships imposed on them, here by an apostrophe to Egypt, and to Assyria, set forth the grounds of their submission. They did it, they said, merely because they saw no other way of getting the means of subsistence.

7.---but they are no more] Twenty six, perhaps twenty seven, MSS. and four Editions, with the Masora, read. So also the LXX.

Ald. and Complut. the Syr. Chald. Vulg. and Arab.

Ibid. And we have undergone the punishment, &c.] This is said in conformity with 2 Kings xxi. 11,-16. xxiii. 26, 27. xxiv. 3.-Twenty three MSS. three editions, and the Masora, read 1317281. So likewise the Syr. Chald. Vulg. and Arab. express the conjunction.

8. Servants have had dominion] This perhaps alludes to the power exercised by Nebuzaradan.

9. At the hazard of our lives, &c.] I can no otherwise understand this, than that on account of their weak and defenceless state the people were continually exposed, whilst they followed their necessary business, to the incursions of the Arabian freebooters, who might not im

properly be styled," the sword of the wilderness," see Harmer's Observ. Ch. ii. Obs. 5 and 6.

10. Our skins---] For 1 twenty three MSS. and one edition

.עורינו read

66

Ibid.--the stormy blasts of hunger] To investigate the precise signification of nyt by etymology is what I shall not pretend to. Both in this place and Psal. xi. 9. the ancient interpreters give it the sense of storms and tempests. In the latter of these passages it seems not improbable, that by the hot scorching wind may be alluded to, which produces such fatal effects in the desart. See note on Jer. iv. 11, 12. In the margin of our Bibles it is accordingly translated, "a burning tempest." In this place the violent operations of hunger may be called its "stormy blasts," from the effects thereby produced, in emaciating the body, and drying the skin, as if the blasts of a hot wind had passed over it. The word occurs but once more, and that in the singular number, ¡, Psal. cxix. 53. It is there generally understood, as if the Psalmist had represented himself seized with horror, grief, or some other affection of mind, on account of the wicked that forsook God's law. But I submit, whether or may not here be construed a storm or blast of persecution, which he had experienced from those wicked persons; in defiance of which, he says in the following verse, that he did not cease to make God's statutes his songs, that is, to celebrate the benefits resulting from an observance of them, " in the

,בבית מגורי ; amidst all the terrors that surrounded him

house of my terrors." This perfectly agrees with the tenor of the con text, and especially of the two preceding verses;

51. The proud have mocked me exceedingly,
I have not declined from thy law :

52. I called to mind thy judgments of old,
O JEHOVAH, and comforted myself.

53. A stormy blast hath laid hold on me

From the wicked who forsake thy law :

54. Thý statutes have been my songs
In the house of my terrors.

11. Virgins] Fourteen MSS. and one edition for

a read

na; twenty, perhaps twenty two, MSS. mina, and five MSS.

.בתלות

13.---were made to grind---] Literally, "bore grinding,” as a hardship or task imposed on them.

14. Elders have ceased from the gate] That is, they no longer sit there to administer justice.

15.---of our heart---] Ten MSS. read 2," of our hearts;" but all the ancient versions express the singular number.

19. But thou---] The LXX. Syr. Vulg. and Arabic all express the conjunction at the beginning of this verse. Two MSS. read, and so it is found in the Notes of the celebrated printed Bible, No. 300.

21.---so shall we return---] For a thirty seven, perhaps forty three, MSS. and four editions, read with the Masora, w).

22. For surely---] Six MSS. omit ON. ought certainly to be rendered as causal; God's having rejected his people, and expressed great indignation against them, being the cause and ground of the preceding application, in which they pray to be restored to his favour, and the enjoyment of their ancient privileges.

APPENDIX.

OBSERVATIONS and NOTES of the late learned THOMAS SECKER,

D. D. Archbishop of Canterbury, written by him in two Bibles, now deposited in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth; one of which is a Folio English Bible interleaved, containing Observations in English, chiefly respecting the English Translation: the other is a Quarto Hebrew Bible of the Edition of Michaelis, Halle 1720, the margin of which abounds with Critical remarks in Latin on the Hebrew Text, and other curious annotations.

N. B. The parts inclosed between crotchets [ ] are the Author's additional Remarks, distinguished by the initials of his name, B. B.

CHAP. I.

11.---a rod of an almond tree] Prima omnium floret amygdala, Plin. 1. xvi. c. 42.

CHAP. II.

7.-Recte se habet. Alioqui legi posset, cum sequatur. Confer Num. xvi. 14.

10. Chittim-Kedar] West-East.

12. 127], Syr. Videtur legisse 1777, nec male. [The LXX. render, xai 1Qgiživ iwi wλcov Qodga. They therefore must have read 127; and, I think, rightly. 2 signifies to do a thing much or often. And as np Ch. iv. 5. signifies," Proclaim fully;" SOND 12 yw, if taken together, will exactly correspond with the Greek. But if construed imperatively, the verse may be thus divided and rendered

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this,

And shudder very exceedingly, saith JEHOVAH. The preter tense would have been

B. B.]

", because of the conversive.

16. PTP ] Recte se habet vulgata lectio. Confer Deut.

xxxiii. 20.

Ibid.---have broken] When did the Egyptians this? Their victory over Josiah was long after. Perhaps it should be, shall break.

ut sit Enallage numeri; vel,תוכיחך Potest punctari [תוכחך .19

potest esse 3 pl. fœm. irreg. ut van, Cap. xlix. 11. Vide et Buxtorf. Thes. i. 13, 31. [But there is no irregularity at all, if ny be the subject of man. B. B.]