_Sedition. Hebrew, "the men of Ephraim shouted together" to arms. --- North. Septuagint, "Sephena." The Hebrew may either signify north, or some city. (Montanus) --- It is probable that Ephraim went to quarrel with Jepthe at Abel, before he had returned to Maspha. (Calmet) --- House. Hebrew and Sept... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strife, to defend our property. --- I called. Drusius doubts whether he sent an express invitation to Ephraim, otherwise how durst they assert that they had not been summoned? (Calmet) --- But we may rather give credit to Jephte. The condition of the nation was a sufficient invitation, as they knew... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hands exposed to all sorts of danger. I resolved to defend myself to the utmost, 1 Kings xix. 6., and Ecclesiastes x. 2. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fugitive. Vile and timid, so that his brethren around him might destroy him at any time. (Menochius) --- Galaad dwelt in the midst of the descendants of Joseph. (Haydock) --- But Ephraim, in despite, had represented him as an outcast. Their envy deserved to be severely punished. (Calmet) --- The sa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Letter. Protestants, "Say now Shibboleth, and he said Sibboleth, for he could not frame to pronounce it right." The interpretation of the first word is added by St. Jerome, (Haydock) and denotes also "a running water;" (Menochius) whereas the Ephraimites pronounced a word which signifies "a burden,... [ Continue Reading ]
His city. Maspha, in the country of Galaad, chap. xi. 34. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "in the cities;" whence the Rabbins have idly conjectured, that parts of his body were interred in different cities out of respect, or that they rotted off, in punishment of the sacrifice of his daughter. (Munster) --- Gr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bethlehem of Juda, where Booz also was born. (Calmet) --- The Rabbins make him the same person with Abesan. (Serarius, q. 5.) --- Maldonat (in Matthew ii. 1,) believes that this judge was of a city in Zabulon, Josue xix. 15. (Menochius) --- In the 6th year of Abesan, the Philistines compelled the I... [ Continue Reading ]
_House, or family, though perhaps not under the same roof. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ahialon. Eusebius calls him Adon, and his successor Labdon. (Calmet) --- Salien says that he entirely omits the 10 years of Ahialon's administration, though his name occurs in the body of the Chronicle, as being in the Hebrew and not in the Septuagint. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Illel. Josephus reads "the son or servant of Helon," whom some have confounded with Ahialon, though contrary to the Hebrew. (Calmet) --- The author supposes that Abdon reigned in peace. But it seems that he and the two others preceding him in the government of the people, were forced to purchase re... [ Continue Reading ]
_Forty sons. At this we need not be surprised, in a country where polygamy prevailed. Priam had 50 sons, and the Turks have often as many. --- Colts. This was as great a distinction as to keep one's coach among us, chap. x. 4. (Calmet) --- This judge succeeded Ahialon, in the year of the world 2872,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Amalec. The situation of this mountain, as well as of the town of Pharathon, is unknown. Some have supposed that Amalec had formerly had possession of this country, chap. v. 14. Septuagint (Alexandrian) reads "Mount Lanak." But this place occurs no where else, and other copies agree with the Vulgat... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XII.... [ Continue Reading ]