_Bersabee, from the northern to the southern extremity of the land, (Calmet) west of the Jordan, as Galaad denotes that on the east, belonging to Israel. Only the Benjamites and the town of Jabes declined attending. (Haydock) --- Maspha, on the confines of the tribes of Juda and Benjamin. Here the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_Chiefs. Literally, "angles and corner-stones," whose business it was to keep the people in order; or, all the different ranks of men might be designated. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "the climate," or country. (Haydock) --- Syriac and Arabic, "the families of all the people." (1 Kings xiv. 38.) (Calmet... [ Continue Reading ]
_Levite. Hebrew and Septuagint do not say that the discourse was addressed to him; but he was the most interested, and capable of giving a true account. Hebrew, "The said the children of Israel, Relate (Septuagint, ye) how this wickedness happened, (4) And the Levite," &c., answered._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Kill me. He expressed an abominable crime by another less horrible. (Salien) --- But he does not say that he brought out his wife. He might conclude, that if he had been exposed to their fury, he would have experienced a similar fate. (Haydock) --- So determined was he to resist to the last extremi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Because, &c. Hebrew and Septuagint, "for they have wrought ( zimma, a word which the Septuagint (Alexandrian and Vatican) leave untranslated, others render dishonesty) lewdness and folly," or a most impious act of lust. (Haydock) --- They do not compare this crime with every other that had been com... [ Continue Reading ]
_In common. Hebrew, "by lot." (Calmet) --- They chose one man out of ten to procure provisions, selecting 40,000 for that purpose, or the 10th part of the forces. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_With, &c. This is added to explain. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "united as one man. " (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sent. The law of nations requires that satisfaction be demanded, (Calmet) before a war commence. (Menochius) --- The former resolution (ver. 9,) was only conditional, if the Benjamites should prefer defending their brethren of Gabaa, before punishing them, as they deserved. (Calmet) --- Indeed thei... [ Continue Reading ]
_Men. This number is verified, ver. 35. The Benjamites had 25,700 in all, of whom they lost 25,100; so that 600 remained. Hebrew reads here 26,000; and some pretend (Calmet) that 1000 fell in the two victories which they obtained. (Grotius, &c.) --- But this is without proof, and the Vulgate is conf... [ Continue Reading ]
Right. Septuagint, "ambidextrous." Moderns generally translate the Hebrew, "left-handed." But we have seen that such a meaning is improbable, chap. iii. 15. --- Side. The inhabitants of Palestine formerly applied themselves very much to this exercise, and by them it was propagated over other parts o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thousand. Their numbers had decreased since they came out fo Egypt, (Numbers i., and xxvi.) when they were 600,000 fighting men. (Menochius) --- But we must reflect, that some would be left to garrison the cities, &c. The Benjamites must surely have been infatuated to encounter so great a force in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Silo. Hebrew simply "to Bethel," which the Septuagint, Syriac, Josephus, and others, explain of the city: but others generally understand "the house of God," at Silo, for which Bethel is placed, chap. xxi. 2, 9, and 12. Phinees resided near the tabernacle, and was desired to consult. --- Juda is no... [ Continue Reading ]
_Trusting in their strength. The Lord suffered them to be overthrown, and many of them to be slain, though their cause was just; partly in punishment of the idolatry which they exercised or tolerated in the tribe of Dan, and elsewhere: and partly because they trusted in their own strength: and there... [ Continue Reading ]
_And join battle. This is an explanation of Hebrew, "against him." (Haydock) --- The Israelites still neglected to sue for the divine protection, trusting in their numbers. God sends them again to battle, and suffers them to be routed. Did he deceive them? By no means. He wished them to learn the im... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sword. In each battle the Benjamites kill almost as many as their whole army, in all 40,000 Israelites, without losing a man, ver. 15. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Evening. Till then the Jews never eat on fasting days. The Turks still do the like: but they only change day into night, as they sleep till sunset, and then begin to feast and to make merry. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Was over. Hebrew, "stood before it at that time," (Haydock) in the camp, (Calmet) or perhaps at Silo, which was not so remote; but some, if not the whole army, might go thither to weep, and to consult the Lord. Phinees had formerly displayed his zeal against the impiety of Beelphegor, Numbers xxv.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XX.... [ Continue Reading ]
_To Gabaa, from some other city. (Haydock) --- This body of men consisted of 10,000, who were designed to draw off the Benjamites from the city into the midst of the forces of Israel, at Baalthamar; while another division, in ambush, on the west of Gabaa, had to enter the city, and having set it on... [ Continue Reading ]
_Baalthamar, the plain of Jericho; (Chaldean) or rather a village in the vicinity of Gabaa, which Eusebius calls Besthamar._... [ Continue Reading ]
_West side. Hebrew mare, "a cavern," (Calmet) "a plain," (Chaldean) "the thickets." (Vat.[Vatable?] &c.) But the Septuagint have read marbe, "the west," with the Vulgate. (Calmet) --- The Vatican copy leave Maraagabe. (Menochius) --- Gabaa was situated on a hill, and the ambuscade might be concealed... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sword. It seems the slingers also used the sword, ver. 16._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Flee; some towards the city, others to the wilderness, and to Remmon, ver. 45. (Haydock) --- That. Hebrew, "because they confided in those whom they had place din ambush, near Gabaa." Hence they were not so eager to prevent their flight, by surrounding them._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Arose. Hebrew, "drew along (advanced or sounded the trumpet a long time,") perhaps for a signal, (Calmet) though the firing of the city seems to have been designed for this purpose, ver. 40. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Saw. Hebrew, "retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and to kill....about thirty men; for they said, surely they are destroyed before us, (or flee) as in the first battle." It is wonderful that they should thus so easily fall into the very snare laid formerly for the men of Hai, Josue viii.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Them. Hebrew, "and those who came out of the cities, (of Benjamin) they (destroyed, (Haydock) or the other Israelites) destroyed them who fled in the midst of them."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rest. Hebrew, "with ease, or at leisure they crushed them," &c. Others translate, (Calmet) Monvee, from Nucha, Noua, (Septuagint Roman; Haydock) Menucha," &c. We read of a place in the tribe of Juda, called Menuchta, 1 Paralipomenon ii. 52. (Calmet) --- The same word may be taken as a proper name,... [ Continue Reading ]
_In that. Hebrew, "and they gleaned of them in the highways 5000 men, and pursued them close to Giddom," of which the Vulgate takes no notice. The Roman Septuagint reads "Gedan;" the rest have "Galaad."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_War. The Scripture, and other authors of the greatest exactitude, sometimes use round numbers. (Calmet) --- An odd hundred (ver. 35, and 15.; Haydock) is here neglected. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Escape. Mercy was shewn to these, as the tribe had been already treated with sufficient severity. St. Jerome says, they were "reserved for the sake of the apostle Paul," (epit. Paul.; Menochius) who was descended from some of them. (Haydock) --- Remmon, near Gabaa, Zacharias xiv. 10. Eusebius place... [ Continue Reading ]
_And villages, is not expressed in Hebrew, &c. But as both cities, and all the inhabitants were destroyed, the villages would share the same fate, (Haydock) as being under a curse. The Israelites concluded, from the exemplary vengeance which had been taken of Sodom and Gomorra, that they were author... [ Continue Reading ]