2 163 26 3 164 27 3414 590 3415 589 3416 588 XLVIII. 4 165 28 XLVIII. 1 166 29 1 ZEDEKIAH. Reigned 11 years. He was the last Jewish king. 2 and commenced his reign in the 8th year of Nebuchadnezzar, 3 The Scythians are expelled from Asia Minor by Cyaxares, king of 4 Media and Persia. 5 6 About this time Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, king 7 of Babylon. 8 The Pythian games first established at Delphi. 11 9 Jerusalem besieged by Nebuchadnezzar; and two years after (viz., 10 in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. lii. 12.), the city is taken, the temple burnt, and the people carried away into captivity. Thus ends THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH, after it had stood from the death of Solomon 387 years, and from the captivity of the ten tribes 133 years. About this time flourished Chilo, Anacharsis, Thales, Epimenides, Solon, the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel, Esop, Stesichorus, &c. Nebuchadnezzar lived after the destruction of the temple 24 years. This Table is taken from Dr. A. Clarke's Commentary, vol. ii., and will be found of great utility to the student of the Bible. CHAPTER III. OF THE POETICAL BOOKS. 1. UNDER this denomination are comprehended those books which are termed by the Jews the Hagiographa, or Holy Writings; viz., the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and the book of Job. They are termed poetical, because they are generally composed in measured sentences, and possess the distinguishing characteristics of Hebrew poetry. They are placed in our Bibles between the historical and the prophetical books. 2. In reading these parts of the Sacred Writings, much assistance will be derived from a strict attention to the peculiar structure of the sentences, of which we have fully treated in Part II., ch. v., sect. 2. 3. Another thing demanding attention in reading the poetical parts of the sacred writings, is the change of persons, which often occurs without the least intimation being given by the writer. This is occasioned in many cases by the form of composition-dialogue, or a kind of dramatic ode-in which there are different characters introduced, sustaining their respective parts. This observation applies more particularly to the book of Psalms, to the remarks on which the reader is referred. SECTION I. THE BOOK OF JOB. 1. THIS is one of the most extraordinary books of the Holy Scriptures. Considerable diversity of opinion has obtained among biblical writers on its chronology, character, hero, and author. Some have denied the actual existence of the venerable patriarch from whom it derives its name, and considered the book as a fictitious narration, intended to instruct through the medium of parable. That such a notion should have been entertained by men who credit the writings of Ezekiel or of James, is something to excite surprise; for both these inspired writers speak of him as a real, and not as a fictitious. personage. See Ezek. xiv. 14; James v. 11. To this we may add, that he is also mentioned as a real person in the apocryphal book of Tobit; and as such, he has been contemplated immemorially in Arabia and Palestine. No good reason ean be given, why we should abandon an opinion thus strongly supported. 2. With regard to the time when the events recorded in the Book of Job took place, and when the history was committed to writing, critics are not agreed. Some are of opinion, that it was the earliest written of all the books of the Bible, while others ascribe it to an origin subsequent to the captivity. It has been attributed to Moses. to Elihu, to Job himself, to Solomon, and to Ezra; Those who wish to investigate the claims of these different hypotheses, may consult the writings of Lowth, Warburton, Stock, Peters, Faber, Good, or the "Introduction" of Mr. Horne, where may be found an ably written summary of the controversy on these interesting questions. 3. Dr. Hales assigns the time of Job's trial to the period that intervened between the confusion of languages and the call of Abraham; and in confirmation of this opinion, Mr. Townsend* has added several arguments of a moral character, which carry with them considerable weight. In the opinion of these writers, the book was written by Job himself, or one of his contemporaries, and is supposed to have been obtained by Moses when in the land of Midian; and, with some alterations, addressed by him to the Israelites. The country in which the scene of the history is laid, is said to be the land of Uz (chap. i. 1), which Mr. Good has shown to have been Idumea. Of the character and structure of this extraordinary book, as a literary composition, various opinions have been also entertained. Calmet, Warburton, and others have regarded it as a drama; Bishop Lowth conceived it to be of a mixed character; but Mr. Good considers it to be a regular epic poem, possessing all the prominent features of that species of composition, as laid down by Aristotle himself. 4. The general scope and moral of this sublime production, namely, that the troubles and afflictions of a good man are, for the most part, designed as tests of his virtue and integrity, out of which he will at length emerge with additional splendour and happiness, are common to eastern poets, and not uncommon to those of Greece. But, in various respects, the poem of Job stands alone and unrivalled. In addition to every corporeal suffering and privation which it is possible for man to endure, it carries forward the trial in a manner and to an extent which has never been attempted elsewhere, into the keenest faculties and sensations of the mind, and mixes the bitterest taunts and accu sign of the poem is, therefore, to teach men, that, having a due respect to the corruption, infirmity, and ignorance of human nature, as well as to the infinite wisdom and majesty of God, they are to reject all confidence in their own strength and unwavering and unsullied faith, submitting with becoming reverence to the divine decrees.t 5. But independent of the important instruction which may be derived from a devout perusal of the Book of Job, it must be considered as a most invaluable document, containing a faithful delineation of the patriarchal religion, and thus completing the Bible, by adding the dispensation of the earliest ages to the dispensations of the law and the gospel, by which it was successively superseded. On this principle the expediency of its introduction into the Hebrew canon may be successfully shown, and the objections urged against it, as an exotic production, effectually silenced. 6. The chief doctrines of the patriarchal religion, as collected from different parts of the poem by Dr. Hales and Mr. Good, are as follow: (1) The creation of the world by one Supreme and Eternal Intelligence. See chap. xxxviii.—xli. (2) Its regulation by his perpetual and superintending providence. See chap. i. 9, 21, ii. 10, v. 8—27, ix. 4—13. sations of friendship with the agonies of family bereavement and despair. The body of other poems consists chiefly of incidents; that of the present poem, of colloquy or argument, in which the train of reasoning is so well sustained, its matter so important, its language so ornamented, the doc-righteousness, and to preserve on all occasions an trines it developes so sublime, and its transition from passion to passion so varied and abrupt, that the want of incidents is not felt, and the attention is rivetted as by enchantment. In other poems the supernatural agency is fictitious, and often incongruous; here the whole is solid reality, supported in its grand outline by the concurrent testimony of every other part of Scripture; an agency not obtrusively introduced, but demanded by the magnitude of the occasion; and as much more exalted and magnificent than every other kind of similar interference, as it is more veritable and solemn. The suffering hero is sublimely called forth to the performance of his part, in the presence of men and angels; each becomes interested, and equally interested, in his conduct; the Almighty assents to the trial, and for a period withdraws his divine aid; the malice of Satan is in its full career and activity; hell hopes, earth trembles, and every good spirit is suspended with awful anxiety. The wreck of his substance is in vain; the wreck of his family is in vain; the scalding sores of a corroding leprosy are in vain ; the artillery of insults, reproaches, and railing, poured forth from the mouths of bosom friends, is in vain. Though at times put, in some degree, off his guard, the holy sufferer is never completely (4) The heavenly hierarchy, composed of varioverpowered. He sustains the shock without yield- ous ranks and orders, possessing different names, ing; he still holds fast his integrity. Thus ter- dignities, and offices. As obelim, servants; malaminates the trial of faith: Satan is confounded; chim, angels; melizim, intercessors; memitim, desfidelity triumphs; and the Almighty, with a mag-tinies or destroyers; alep, the chiliad or thousand; nificence well worthy of the occasion, unveils his resplendent tribunal, and crowns the afflicted champion with his applause.* The scope of this speech, says Bishop Stock, is to humble Job, and teach others, by his example, to acquiesce in the Divine dispensations, from an unbounded confidence in his wisdom, equity, and goodness; an (6) The good and evil powers or principles, end worthy the interposition of the Deity. On equally formed by the Creator, and hence equally the conclusion of the Almighty's address, Job denominated "sons of God;" both of them emhumbles himself, acknowledges his ignorance, "re-ployed by him in the administration of his propents as in dust and ashes," offers sacrifices for his friends, and is restored to double prosperity, comfort, and honour. Bishop Lowth is of opinion that the principal object of the poem is the third and last trial of Job, from the unkindness and unjustness of his accusing friends; the consequence of which is, in the first place, the anger, indignation, and contumacy of Job, and afterwards his composure, submission, and penitence. The de (3) The intentions of his providence carried into effect by the ministrations of a heavenly hierarchy. See chap. i. 6, 7, iii. 18, 19, v. 1, xxxiii. 22, 23. kedoshim, SANCTI, the heavenly saints or hosts generally. See chap. iv. 18, xxxiii. 22, 23, v. 2, xv. 15. (5) An apostasy, or defection, in some rank or order of these powers (ch. iv. 18, xv. 15), of which Satan seems to have been one, and perhaps chief, chap. i. 6—12, ii. 2—7. vidence; and both amenable to him at stated courts, held for the purpose of receiving an account of their respective missions. See chap. i. 6, 7, ii. 1. (7) A day of future resurrection, judgment, and retribution to all mankind. See chap. xiv. 13-15, xix. 25—29, xxi. 30, xxxi. 14. (8) The propitiation of the Creator, in the case of human transgressions, by sacrifices (chap. i. Lowth's Lectures on Hebrew Poetry, Gregory's Transl. vol. ii. p. 383. 5, xlii. 8); and the mediation and intercession of others were probably written by Moses, Solomon, a righteous person. See chap. xlii. 8, 9.* (9) The idolatrous worship of the heavenly bodies a judicial offence, to be punished by the judge. See chap. xxxi. 26-28. (10) The innate corruption of man; or what is generally termed "Original Sin." See chap. xiv. 4, xv. 14—16, xxxv. 4. 7. Several of these doctrines are more clearly developed than others, but the whole of them are fairly deduced from the obvious meaning of the words. 8. Mr. Good, to whom we have been indebted for the foregoing outline, has remarked, that nothing can be more unfortunate for this most excellent composition than its division into chapters, and especially such a division as that in common use; in which, not only the unity of the general subject, but, in many instances, that of a single paragraph, or even of a single clause, is completely broken in upon and destroyed.+ Various other divisions have been adopted. Dr. Hales, who excludes the exordium and conclusion, divides it into five parts; but Mr. Good, who justly remarks that these are requisite to the unity of the composition, divides it into six. We follow his arrangement, only dividing his sixth part into two. We have then, 1. History of Job's character and trials (chap. i-iii.) 2. First series of conversations or controteray-Eliphaz's address (chap. iv., v.); Job's answer (chap. vi., vii.); Bildad's address (chap. viii.); Job's answer (chap. ix.-x.); Zophar's address (chap. xi.); Job's answer (chap. xii.-xiv.) 3. Second series of controversy-Eliphaz's address (chap. xv.); Job's answer (chap. xvi., xvii.); Bildad's address (chap. xviii.); Job's answer (chap. xix.); Zophar's address (chap. xx.); Job's answer (chap. xxi. 4.) 4. Third series of controversy Eliphaz's address (chap. xxii.); Job's answer (chap. xxiii., xxiv.); Bildad's address (chap. xxv.); Job's answer (chap. xxvi.—xxxi.). 5. Elihu's four speeches to Job (chap. xxxii.-xxxvii.) 6. Jeho tah's first and second address to Job (chap. xxxviii. -xli.). 7. Humiliation of Job, and his final prosperity (chap xlii.). Asaph, Heman, Ethan, Jeduthun, Ezra, and the sons of Korah. Upon the titles prefixed to many of the Psalms implicit confidence cannot be placed; nor is it certain whether the Jews, who attached these notices, intended to denote that the respective psalms were written by, or for, such a person. 2. The right of the Book of Psalms to a place in the sacred canon has never been disputed; and its divine authority has been attested by the quotations of our Saviour and his apostles, as well as by the numerous predictions dispersed throughout it, and which have been subsequently fulfilled. 3. In these compositions we are presented with every variety of Hebrew poetry. Some of them were prepared for particular solemnities in the Jewish worship; others appear to have been designed generally to celebrate the glorious perfections of God; and a few to have been drawn forth by the peculiar circumstances or experience of the inspired writers. They abound in the most impressive and consoling predictions. One greater than David is continually presenting himself, even Christ the Redeemer. Divine inspiration so guided the Psalmist, that in many instances his words, at the same time that they referred with sufficient precision to the circumstances of his own life, prefigured, in terms the most accurate and sublime, the humiliation, the sufferings, the triumphant resurrection, and the universal and eternal kingdom of the Messiah. Dr. Horsley has considered the greater part of the Psalms as a kind of dramatic ode, consisting of dialogues between certain persons, sustaining certain characters, as the priests, Levites, singers, &c. "The other persons introduced are Jehovah, sometimes as one, sometimes as another, of the three persons: Christ, in his incarnate state, is personated sometimes as a priest, sometimes as a king, sometimes as a conqueror." in these reciprocations and divisions of parts, we discern, according to Dr. Lowth, the immediate cause of the disposition of the verse into equal strophes or stanzas, and why these consisted for the most part of distichs, in a sort of parallelism to each other, the last line responding to the first, and seconding, educing, and enforcing the sense. A recent writer has very materially extended this doctrine of parallelism, and, by an arrangement of several of the psalms, has succeeded in showing that each one is a complete parallelism, either of the alternate or the introverted kind. In some cases, the parallelism will be found to depend on a correspondence of the topic; sometimes on an agreement of the person: but whatever form the composition may assume, it will be found suscept Horsley's Psalms, vol. i. p. xvi. And 56. xxi. 15. 34. 142. xxii. 1. 17. 19. 52. 109. 35. 140. 57.58. 63. 141. 139. 68. 132. 105. 106. 96. 2. 45. 22. 16. 118. 110. 60. 108. 20. 21. 51. 32. 33. 103. 3. 42. 43. 55. 4. 5. 62. 143. 144. 70. 71. With Philistines at Gath. Leaving the city of Gath. In the cave of Adullam. Wilderness of Engedi. First removal of the Ark. His flight from Absalom. |