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rally between six and seven feet long, including the point. But we incline to think that perhaps the most probable representation of the Hebrew spear, is that still retained by the Arabs, and which serves both for thrusting and for throwing to a short distance. It is about twelve feet long, with a pointed head of iron or steel. It is often quite plain; but sometimes it has two balls or tufts of black ostrich feathers, as large as fists, placed at a short distance from each other towards the top; the upper ball being fringed with short white ostrich feathers. These ornaments give the weapon a rather elegant appearance. It is only thrown by an Arab to a short distance, and when he is sure of his aim,-generally at a horseman whom he is pursuing and cannot overtake. To strike with the lance, he poises it for a time over his head, and then thrusts it forward, or else holds and shakes it at the height of the saddle. A pur sued Arab continually thrusts his lance backward to prevent the approach of the pursuer's mare, and sometimes kills either the pursuer or his mare, by dexterously throwing the point of his lance behind. It will be observed that the weapon has at the lower extremity an iron spike, which alone is often sufficient for these purposes. The Hebrew spears were furnished in the same manner, and applied to exactly the same uses. Abner was pursued by the swiftfooted Asahel, who would not be persuaded to desist:-"He refused to turn aside, wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him, and he fell down there and died." (2 Sam. ii. 23.) This spike at the lower end is intended for the purpose of sticking the spear into the ground when the warrior is at rest. This is a common custom in the East; and it was usual among the Hebrews When Saul pursued David into the wilderness of Ziph, he is described as asleep in his encampment, with "his spea stuck in the ground at his bolster" (1 Sam. xxvi. 7). This also was the custom among Homer's warriors, whose spear were similarly furnished for the same purpose. Thus, when Nestor and Ulysses go in the night to Diomede

"Him sleeping arm'd before his tent they found
Amidst his sleeping followers; with their shields
Beneath their heads they lay, and at the side
Of each, stood planted in the soil his spear
On its inverted end; their polished heads
All glitter'd like Jove's lightning from afar."

The Arabs have also a shorter kind of lance, which we may properly call the javelin, perhaps answering to that of the Hebrews, and which can be hurled to a considerable distance. This, among them, is chiefly used by those who act on foot. The ancient darts and javelins were too various for us to describe particularly. The cuts exhibit

Egyptian Combat. From a Sculpture on the walls of the Palace at Thebes; showing the form of the "Spear," or Javelin.

the principal forms of these missiles. We are perhaps best acquainted with those of the Romans, which may be fairly taken as types of the rest. One of them was a light kind of dart, about three feet long, and not more than an inch thick, with a point four inches long. It was a sort of hand-arrow. The point was made to taper to so fine an end, that it bent at the first stroke, so as to prevent the enemy from throwing it back again. These weapons were used by the light armed troops, who carried several of them in the left hand, with which they held the buckler, leaving the right hand free either to throw the darts or use the sword. Something of this sort, but probably less delicate, may have been the "darts." Of this kind seem to have been the "darts" (, shebatim) of which Joab took three in his hand, and struck them through the heart of Absalom, as he hung in the tree (2 Sam. xviii. 14). Besides these slender darts, the Romans had other javelins longer, and stronger and heavier. The two principal sorts were between four and five feet long; and the metal was carried halfway down the haft, which in one sort of javelin was square, and in another round. These weapons were discharged at the enemy in commencing an action; but if there was no time or distance for this, the soldiers threw their missiles to the ground, and assailed the foe sword in hand.

There are many allusions in the Greek and Latin poets and some in Scripture to poising of the javelin, its whistling motion through the air, and the clash of the adverse missiles striking against each other. So Virgil:

And again:

"Pois'd in his lifted arm, his lance he threw :
The winged weapon, whistling in the wind
Came driving on, nor miss'd the mark design'd."

"Thick storms of steel from either army fly,
And clouds of clashing darts obscure the sky."

The particulars given concerning the spears and javelins of the Romans will be found to illustrate the subject generally; since they confessedly derived their weapons of this sort from the Greeks, through whom we may trace them to Egypt and Western Asia.

The ancient javelins were not always discharged entirely by the hand, the projection being in some instances assisted by a strap girt around the middle. There was also in use a sort of harpoon-that is, a dart to the head of which was fastened a long strap, which the warrior retained, when he discharged the dart, in order to draw it back again.

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a, large Arabic Shield; b, small do. ; c, side view of the same; d, large Turkish Shield; e, Mameluke Shield; f, Arabian Spear; g, Turkish; h, Mameluke.

10. "Ye that ride on white asses."-Commentators have been rather perplexed by this, not understanding that there were asses that could be described as positively white. Some have therefore chosen to refer the whiteness not to the asses, but to their trappings or furniture; while others, taking the Arabic sense of the word, tzachor, render it "streaked" or "parti-coloured asses," and understand it to mean a sort of zebra. We think we can explain this. In the first place, white asses-perfectly white-are by no means uncommon in Western Asia. They are usually in every respect the finest of their species, and their owners certainly take more pride in them than in any other of their asses. They also sell at a much higher price; and those hackney ass-men who make a livelihood by hiring out their asses to persons who want a ride, always expect better pay for the white ass than for any of the others. The superior estimation in which they are held is indicated by the superior style of their furniture and decorations; and in passing through the streets, the traveller will not fail to notice the conspicuous appearance which they make in the line of asses which stand waiting to be hired. The worsted trappings are of gayer colours, the beads and small shells are more abundant and fine, and the ornaments of metal more bright. But, above all, their white hides are fantastically streaked and spotted with the red stains of the henna planta barbarous kind of ornament, which the western Asiatics are also fond of applying to their own beards, and to the tails and manes of their white horses. Here then we have an account of both senses of the word. If we take the Hebrew meaning, that of "white," then we have here the white asses; but if we take the Arabic meaning, then we have it here also; for tzachor, the word in question, is that which the Arabs apply to these white asses when spotted and striped with the henna dye-not to every parti-colour, but to this parti-colour of white and red. As we are unwilling to suppose that the Hebrews disfigured these beautiful animals in this style, we certainly prefer the simple sense of white." These white asses being less common than others, and being, so far as we have had opportunities of observing, usually larger and finer than most others of their species, we can easily understand why it should be a sort of distinction to ride them. in a country where horses were not employed. See the cut in page 606.

11. "Delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water."-From this it would seem as if, in the state of oppression from which the Hebrews had now been delivered, it had been dangerous for them to go to a little

distance from their towns, in order to obtain water at the wells and springs. Certainly they were in some way or other molested by their oppressors at the places from which they obtained their water, whether we understand it of the villagers and towns-people, or of the shepherds who were abroad with the flocks. In the open, unprotected lands of the East, the watering places are at this day the scenes of continual conflict and oppression. To such places the necessity for water conducts different people, who cannot any where meet in peace. There parties of hostile tribes fall in with each other, and quarrel and fight; and thither the natives of the wilds resort to plunder the parties of travellers and merchants who come in search of water. In the deserts of Syria and Arabia, natives and strangers are thus equally annoyed near the wells. The former, in the seasons when water is easily procured, are continually on the move, and their enemies scarcely know where they are: but in summer, the yare obliged to encamp near the wells for a considerable time, and it soon becomes known where they are encamped ("near such and such a well," is a sufficient indication of locality), and their enemies hasten to attack them. This therefore is the principal reason of war,-the neighbourhoods of wells being the principal seats of war and depredation in those countries. Travellers also, knowing that such tribes are encamped near, or are likely to visit the wells, often dread to approach them, in the fear of being plundered, if not also killed. For this reason, we have known parties of travellers, that were reduced to almost the last extremity from want of water in the parched deserts, obliged to avoid the places where their wants might be satisfied, from having heard that parties of Arabs were encamped in the neighbourhood; and we have heard of others who, from the same cause, were obliged to go one or two days' journey out of their way, to one watering place, in preference to another that lay directly in their road. No travellers, unless in great force, dare encamp near a well, however pleasant and desirable it might be, from the fear of disagreeable visiters. They water their cattle and replenish their water-skins in all haste, and then go and encamp at a distance from any roads leading to the well. Dr. Shaw mentions a beautiful rill in Barbary, which is received into a large basin, called Shrub we krub; that is, Drink and away, from the great danger of meeting there with robbers and assassins. With equal propriety, and for the same reason, almost every oriental watering-place might be called “ Shrub we krub.”

14. "They that handle the pen of the writer."—A common interpretation of this is, that Zebulun being a commercial tribe, of course there were a great number of clerks, whose patriotism led them on this occasion to lay aside the pen for the sword. To this there are several objections. One is, that there is no evidence that Zebulun was a commercial tribe. Another is, that , shebet, here rendered "pen," never has that meaning any where else, and is not likely to have it here. It has the meanings of a rod; the staff of a ruler-a sceptre; in 2 Sam. xviii. 4, a dart; and elsewhere a measuring rod. Any one of these senses is better than that of our version. But having rendered the following word, sopher, by "writer," it became necessary to make shebet a pen. Sopher means "scribe," certainly, in a general sense; but scribes had many functions besides handling the pen. One of these was-or rather the officer was called a sopher, who had charge of the muster rolls, and selected from the mass of the adult males, the number required to be levied for particular service. This appears to have been done by means of a rod, in the same way that cattle were tithed, as described in the note to Levit. xxvii. 32. That is to say, it being ascertained that one out of such and such a number would be required, the sopher counted them as they passed, and touched out for the service with his rod, the men on whom the proportioned number recurred. This process excluded partiality in the sopher. It might be well therefore to read "the rod of the musterer," and the sense would be that the men on whom the duty devolved, in the tribe of Zebulun, came forward readily, on this important occasion, to raise the required levy. If this be a doubtful interpretation, we may take the rod simply to be an ensign of office, which office we cannot doubt was connected importantly with the discipline and efficiency of the army. In the kingly period, there is much mention of such personages, who seem to have held a most dignified station, being, perhaps, to the whole kingdom, what the inferior sopherim were in their respective tribes. See, for instance, 2 Kings xxv. 19, "The principal scribe (sopher) of the host which mustered the people of the land."

21. "The river Kishon."-It is not easy to determine to which of the streams, whose confluence forms the Kishon, we should assign the distinction of forming the principal source of that river. It commonly is given to a stream which flows from Mount Tabor; and although we do not know that we should have chosen to fix on that as the originating source, yet, being already fixed, it is not worth while to contend for an alteration. Thus understood, the river takes first a westerly course, and then turns to the north-west, running parallel to the range of Mount Carmel, till it discharges its waters into the bay of Acre. Its course is very winding, and its length may be estimated at about thirty miles. In its progress from Tabor towards Carmel it receives other brooks, as large as itself, which greatly increase the volume of the confluent stream. The Kishon, however, like most of the other rivers of the country, is an inconsiderable brook during the greater part of the year; but in the rainy months, the greater part of the waters which are collected in the range of Carmel are discharged by a variety of small torrents into this channel; which being insufficient for such augmentation, the current overflows its banks, and carries away every thing within its reach. This was probably the sort of inundation which came unexpectedly, perhaps unseasonably, and swept away the host of Sisera, in attempting to force a passage. Mr. Carne, who travelled here when the stream was full from recent rains, was led considerably out of the way in order to find a ford, where only this stream, usually so inconsiderable, could then be crossed on horseback. See 'Letters from the East,' p. 250; Joliffe, i. 25; and Buckingham's 'Palestine,' i. 178. 8vo.

CHAPTER VI.

1 The Israelites for their sin are oppressed by Midian. 8 A prophet rebuketh them. 11 An angel sendeth Gideon for their deliverance. 17 Gideon's present is consumed with fire. 24 Gideon destroyeth Baal's altar, and offereth a sacrifice upon the altar Jehovah-shalom. 28 Joash defendeth his son, and calleth him Jerubbaal. 33 Gideon's army.

36 Gideon's signs.

AND the children of Israel did evil in the

sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2 And the hand of Midian 'prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Ama

1 Heb. was strong.

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lekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither 'sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,

8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

9 And I delivered you out of the hand of

Or, goat.

the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; 'fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son 'Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, 'to hide it from the Midianites.

12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my LORD, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

3 Heb. a man a prophet. 42 Kings 17, 35, 38, Jerem. 10. 2. 5 Heb. 11. 32, called Gedeon,

Heb, to cause it to flee.

14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15 And he said unto him, O my LORD, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, 'my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my "present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19¶ And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! 10for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it "Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

25 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, "even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, "in the ordered place, and take the second bullock,

7 Heb. my thousand is the meanest. 11 That is, The LORD send peace.

8 Or, meat-offering. 18 Or, and. 13 Heb. 16 Num. 10. 3. Chap. 3, 27.

and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's houshold, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. 33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

34 But the Spirit of the LORD "came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer "was gathered after him.

35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

36¶ And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

37 Behold I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

9 Heb. a kid of the goats. 10 Exod. 33. 20. strong place. 14 Or, in an orderly manner. 17 Heb. was called after him.

Chap. 13. 22. 15 Heb. clothed,

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