Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][graphic][ocr errors][graphic][graphic][graphic][graphic][graphic][merged small]

Lamps.'-Instead of lamps furnished with wicks and fed with oil, we are probably to understand torches or flambeaux, which the original will equally signify, made of tow and grease, or of resinous billets of wood, which would afford a flame much stronger and better suited to the open air when exposed.

20. Blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands.... and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.'-As the Midianites could not imagine that every man had a trumpet and a light, the noise of so many trumpets, the blaze of so many lights, with the crash of the broken pitchers from different quarters, must have conveyed to their minds the most exaggerated ideas of the numbers of the assailants by whom they seemed to be beset. Gideon's army would have been great indeed, if, as the Midianites must have supposed, the number of the fighting men had been in proportion to that of the trumpeters. This measure offers altogether one of the most curious stratagems to be met with in the history of military operations, and was well calculated to confuse, and excite a panic in an encampment of undisciplined nomades, whose confusion was probably increased by the alarm and fright of their numerous cattle. The Lord gave effect to this stratagem; so that the host of Midian was discomfited without the Hebrews striking a blow. Their position was very singular, standing about the camp blowing their trumpets and holding their torches, as if to encourage and give light to the fighting men whom the Midianites believed to have entered their camp-while they really gave light sufficient to enable their enemies to slay each other, but not enough to enable them to distinguish that those whom they slew were not enemies, but friends. The war-cry was taken from the interpretation of the dream, The sword of Gideon,' to which Gideon, with his usual modesty, prefixed the name of the LordThe sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.'

24. Take before them the waters.'-The fords of the Jordan to prevent the escape of the enemy across the river. This had been done before in the case of the Moabites; and was the usual practice when the enemy belonged to the country east of the river.

25. Brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon.'

It was an almost universal custom to take off the heads of opposing chiefs and bring them to the victorious general. It is a sort of trophy, and as such has been regarded at one time or other in nearly all nations. David cut off the head of Goliath, probably intending to bring it to Saul; and the head of Saul himself was cut off by the Philistines and sent by them to their own country. Such was also the custom among the Romans: thus Pompey's head was brought to Cæsar, and that of Cicero to Marc Antony, not to mention other instances. Barbarous oriental conquerors have built monuments with the heads of their conquered enemies; and, at present, the heads of conquered chiefs and commanders are transmitted to Constantinople from the most distant parts of the Turkish empire, to be laid at the feet of the sultan, and then to decorate his palace gates. Herodotus relates that the Scythians cut off the heads of all their enemies whom they slew in battle. To bring a head to the king constituted the right to a share in the spoils of war, which could not be obtained without it. The sculls of distinguished enemies were made into drinking cups; and the scalps were in all cases tanned, and carried by the warrior, tied to his bridle, as a trophy of military honour; the valour of a Scythian being estimated by the number of scalps in his possession (Melpomene, 64, 65.) This is like the custom among the North American Indians, whose war-song concludes with expressing the intention to tear off the scalps of their enemies, and make cups of their sculls.

But Oreb and Zeeb were taken captive, and their heads afterwards cut off. This was an ancient and is also a modern practice. It was so in Egypt, where the sculptured battle-scenes, which still exist, exhibit the captives as treated with great severity; and those that seem of distinction are often represented as being decapitated by the hero himself: and this has from the most ancient times remained the custom in most parts of Asia, where the captured chief or general is either sent to the capital and there decapitated, or is else beheaded on the spot by the captor, and his head sent to the king, if the latter does not happen himself to be the captor. See the notes on Josh. x. 46; Judg. i. 7.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites. 6 Succoth and Penuel refuse relief to Gideon's army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna are taken. 16, 17 Succoth and Penuel are destroyed. 21 Gideon revengeth his brethren's death on Zebah and Zalmunna. 23 He refuseth government. 27 His ephod the cause of idolatry. 28 Midian subdued. 30, 32 Gideon's children, and death. 33 The Israelites' idolatry and ingratitude. AND the men of Ephraim said unto him, 'Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him 'sharply.

2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?

3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will 'tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 ¶ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah

and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and 'discomfited all the host.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,

:

14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him and he 'described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary

16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 And he beat down the tower of "Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one 1oresembled the children of a king.

19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the "'ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

22 T Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

25 And they answered, We will willingly

1 Heb. What thing is this thou hast done unto us? 2 Heb. strongly. 5 Or, an hundred and twenty thousand, every one drawing a sword. 6 Heb. terrified. .91 Kings 12. 25. 10 Heb, according to the form, &c.

8 Heb. spirit. 7 Heb. writ.

4 Heb. thresh.

8 Heb. made to know. 11 Or, ornaments like the moon.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he "called Abimelech.

32 ¶ And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophirah of the Abi-ezrites.

33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.

34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

13 Heb. going out of his thigh.

14 Heb. set.

Verse 2. Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer ?'-Abi-ezer was the chief of the family from which Gideon descended. This fine metaphor, which conveys the most favourable idea of Gideon's mildness and humility, insinuates that their services at the end had been incomparably greater than his at the beginning. The resentment of the Ephraimites evaporated in the warmth of this compliment; and we can hardly find a better illustration of Solomon's proverb:— 'A soft answer turneth away wrath.' (Prov. xv. 1.)

[ocr errors]

9. I will break down this tower.'-The people of this place had probably, in giving their answer, pointed insultingly to a tower in which their chief defence lay, intimating thereby that he might do his worst, for that they were well able to defend themselves.

11. Went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents.'— The route which Gideon took from Penuel seems to have been across the mountains of Gilead to the north-east of the Jabbok, through a tract of country occupied only by nomade tribes, thus coming unexpectedly upon the camp of the Midianites, who expected no attack in that quarter. If Jogbehah be the same with Ramoth Gilead, as the Chaldee paraphrast supposes, the Midianites were probably encamped somewhere about Abela, called in xi. 33, Abel Cheramim, the plain of the vineyards.' Gideon appears to have returned to Succoth by another shorter way, namely, by the heights of Hares,' or the Sun-hills (rendered in v. 13 'before the sun was up'); probably so called, as Geddes conjectures, because, over them, the rising sun was first seen by the inhabitants of the low country about the Jordan, and indeed by all the Israelites who dwelt on the western side of that river.

[ocr errors]

16. He took.... thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.'-It is probable he put them to death in this way, their offence being the same as that of the men of Penuel, whom he certainly did put to death. It is doubtful whether they were merely Scourged with thorns and briers till they died (supposing they did die), or that thorns and briers were laid on their naked bodies, and then threshing sledges or other heavy implements of husbandry drawn over them, according to a sort of punishment which was well known in ancient times. In northern nations, where the body is completely covered, the idea of such punishments, with thorns on the naked

person, seems a far-fetched device; but in the East, where the clothing leaves much more of the person exposed, and where, in consequence, men are continually lacerating their skins in passing through thickets, etc., the idea of such laceration is always kept present, either by the experience of actual suffering, or by the presence of those who have recently suffered. Hence tearing the flesh with thorns comes to be a familiar idea of penal infliction; and, as such, is popularly mentioned as among the punishments which misdoers deserve, or will obtain, not only in this life, but in the life to come.

18. Each one resembled the children of a king.'-This is an Orientalism still in use. In the measures of comparison, the king and that which belongs to him forms the superlative; and to say that a person or a thing is kingly, or like that which belongs to a king, is to say that it is the most excellent of its kind. Thus when a young person is distinguished for beauty or dignity of appearance, to say 'he is like the son of a king,' is understood as the highest compliment which can be bestowed upon him. It happens, in some way or other, that in the East the royal families are usually remarkable for the beauty and majesty of their persons; so that the comparison is something more than a mere phrase for expressing the superlative. The present royal family of Persia might be quoted as an instance. It would have been difficult, even by picking a nation, to obtain a finer set of men than appeared, when the late king of Persia was seen sitting on his throne, with his numerous sons standing around him.

6

19. My brethren, even the sons of my mother.'-In countries where polygamy is tolerated, the ties of brotherhood are, as might be expected, much more close and tender between those who are born of the same mother than those who are connected only as children of the same father. Of this we have had and shall have ample evidence in the sacred history. This explains why son of my mother' was among the Hebrews, as now among the Arabs and others, a far more endearing expression than that of my brother,' in the general sense.

6

20. He said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them.'-The Hebrews had no executioner. When a man was guilty of homicide, the execution devolved on the next of kin, by right of blood-revenge: in other cases criminals were stoned by the people, the witnesses setting the

example: and when a king or chief ordered a person to be put to death, the office was performed by the person to whom the command was given. And this was generally a person whose consideration in life bore some proportion to that of the person to be slain. Thus Solomon gave the commission to kill Joab, the commander-in-chief, to Benaiah, a person of so much distinction as to be himself immediately promoted to the command which the death of Joab left vacant. In fact, the office even of a regular executioner is not by any means dishonourable in the East. The post of chief executioner is in most Oriental courts one of honour and distinction. When thus there was no regular executioner, it came to be considered a sort of honour to put a distinguished person to death; and, on the other hand, the death itself was honourable in proportion to the rank of the person by whom the blow was inflicted. It was the greatest dishonour to perish by the hands of a woman or a slave. We see this feeling distinctly in the present narrative, where the two princes much prefer to die by Gideon's own hand than by that of a youth who had obtained no personal distinction. As to the hero's commissioning his son to perform this office, it was perhaps partly to honour that son with the distinction of having slain two chief enemies of Israel; as well as because the rules of blood-revenge made it necessary that the execution of those who had slain their own brethren should either be performed by himself, or by a member of his own family. It seems very probable, from all that transpires, that Oreb and Zeeb had put the brethren of Gideon to death after they had taken them captive, in the same way that they were themselves now slain. Verse 19, however, contains an interesting indication that there were exceptions to the general practice; else Gideon would hardly have expected that the Midianites might have spared their brethren, or have said that, had they done so, he would have spared them.

22. Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also.'-That is, they wanted him to be their king: and here it is that the Hebrews first indicate their desire to establish an hereditary kingdom, forgetting the peculiar character of their government, and the high distinction which they enjoyed in having Jehovah for their sovereign. But the pious hero himself was mindful of it, replying in the true spirit of theocracy, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.' All his sons were not, however, of his mind, and did not forget this offer-as we shall see in the next chapter.

24. They had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.-The Midianites were not properly Ishmaelites, being descended from another son of Abraham; but having the same manner of life, and being much mixed with them, they might well be called so. The terms Ishmaelites' and Midianites' are used indifferently, even so early as the time of Jacob (Gen. xxxvii. 25, 28). Probably all the kindred tribes which followed the same mode of life, and were much mixed with the Arabians, were called Ishmaelites in the general sense. It is also probable that large numbers of real Ishmaelites acted with the Midianites on the present occasion, and some would restrict the present text to these. The present text might indeed be translated :Those slain, who were Ishmaelites, wore golden pendants.' The cut and note under Ex. xxxii. 2, shew that foreigners are represented in the sculptures as adorned with ear-rings. So in those of Persepolis, the Persians themselves are not represented with rings, but there is one group represented with large circular rings. From the difference of dress they are evidently not Persians, and, as the camel is associated with this group only, we may conclude them to be Arabians, and as such furnished with ear-rings. The Arabians certainly used them in the time of Mohammed; but they are not now commonly worn by men. Perhaps the reason may be, that Mohammed prohibited rings of gold; which gradually made them careless whether they had any. Mohammed, indeed, forbade all but silver ornaments to both sexes; but in the end allowed women to wear gold or silver. This accounts for the fact that the modern Arabs do not exhibit such costly ornaments as the ancient Ishmaelites. It seems, from what Mohammed says, that the men

were, in his time, accustomed to wear some sorts of ornament which women only now display. One of his prohibitions affords a striking illustration of the present enumeration of the Midianite ornaments. Whosoever likes to put into the nose or ear of his friend a ring of hell-fire, tell him to put on a gold ring; and he who wishes to put on the neck of his friend a chain of hell-fire, tell him to put on a chain of gold; and he who wishes to put on rings to his friend's wrists of hell-fire, tell him to put on golden ones; wherefore be it on to you to make your ornaments of silver.' (Mischatul-Masabih, i. 355.) This rigid and repeated law made considerable alteration in the ancient ornaments of men. The smaller ones appear to have been generally given up, as a small quantity of silver is hot of much value; but the larger and more massive ornaments, being valuable even in silver, were retained.

3113.

26. A thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold.'This quantity of gold would at the present time be worth 'Ornaments.'-The word is the same as that applied to the ornaments' of the camels (v. 21), and they seem to have been of the same form and material.

6

'Collars.'-This has been variously understood. The Targum thinks they were crowns;' some make them to have been golden smelling-bottles, not to mention other renderings. The original word (ni') literally means 'drops,' and is with considerable probability thought to denote 'ear-pendants,' called 'drops' from the form which they bore. Some think that these ear-pendants were of pearls.

[ocr errors]

Purple.'-See the note on Exod. xxxv. 35. The present is the first indication of purple as a royal colour. Also v. 21, 'Chains .... about their camels' necks.' 'Ornaments.... on their camels' necks.'-The Jewish commentators and others think that they were in the form of a crescent, and were worn in honour of the moon (see Isa. iii. 18), which was a great object of worship among the Arabian tribes. We believe, indeed, that the semi-religious use of this figure by Mohammedans, the Arabs among the rest, is merely a relic of ancient idolatrous usage, the object of which Mohammed had the address to change. Whatever these ornaments' were, they were doubtless of gold, like the chains afterwards mentioned. The ancient nations were fond of ornamenting their more spirited riding animals, whether camels or horses, with gold.

At present in Persia a golden bridle, and a golden chain to hang over the horse's nose, form part of the furniture of the horse, which, with a dress of honour, kings and princes send as a present of state to ambassadors and other persons of high distinction. In Turkey and Egypt, also, chains of gold are used, on state occasions, by persons of high official station, in their horse furniture, connecting the bridle with the breastplate of the animal.

27. Gideon made an ephod,' etc.-He had, when called to his high mission, been instructed to build an altar at the same place as this, which perhaps induced him to think himself authorized to have a sacerdotal establishment there, where sacrifices might be regularly performed; for this seems to be the meaning of the text, although some think that the ephod was merely a trophy commemorative of If Israel's deliverance: if so, it was a very strange one. the former be the right conjecture, the worship performed there was doubtless in honour of the true God, but was still improper and unauthorized. Even in his life-time it must have had the effect of withdrawing the attention of the people east of Jordan from the tabernacle of Shiloh, and so far tended to facilitate the step into positive idolatry which the people took after the death of Gideon. The probability that a sacerdotal establishment was formed is the more strong when we recollect that others were formed by Micah in Mount Ephraim (ch. xvii. 5-13), and by the Danites at Laish (ch. xviii. 29-31). [See note at ch. xviii. in APPENDIX.] 32. Gideon died.'-Gideon seems to have been a man eminently qualified for the high and difficult station to which he was called. Firm even to sternness, where the exhibition of the stronger qualities seemed necessary, and in war a mighty man of valour,' we are called upon in

6

his case, more frequently than in any other which has occurred, to admire his truly courteous and self-retreating character, and that nice and difficult tact-difficult if not spontaneously natural-in the management of men, which is a rarer and finer species of judgment, and by which he was intuitively taught to say the properest word, and do the properest deed, at the most proper time. This is the true secret of his ultimate popularity and influence, which much exceeded that enjoyed by any judge before him.

33. Baal-berith.'-This idol is named only here and in ix. 4, 46. The name means Covenant Lord, and with reference to this signification Baal-berith has been compared to the Zevs Opkios of the Greeks and the Deus Fidius of the Latins. Bochart and Creuzer suppose the name to mean 'God of Berytus;' but there is no evidence that Berith does mean Berytus, which seems rather to be denoted by the name Berothah in Ezek. xlvii. 16.

CHAPTER IX.

1 Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brethren, is made king. 7 Jotham by a parable rebuketh them, and foretelleth their ruin. 26 Gaal conspireth with the Shechemites against him. 30 Zebul revealeth it. 45 Abimelech overcometh them, and soweth the city with salt. 49 He burneth the hold of the god Berith. 53 At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone. 57 Jotham's curse is fulfilled.

AND Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, 'Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

3 Ånd his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, "by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

7¶ And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should
2 Heb. after.

1 Heb. What is good? whether, &c.

4 Heb. go up and down for other trees.

I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

14 Then said all the trees unto the 'bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands ;

17 (For my father fought for you, and "adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian :

18 And ye are risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother ;)

19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

8 Or, by the oak of the pillar. See Josh. 24. 26.
6 Heb. cast his life.

5 Or, thistle.

« PreviousContinue »