Settim, which had Abel, "mourning," prefixed to it, (chap. xxxiii. 49,) on account of the slaughter of 24,000 of the Israelites, ver. 6, 9. It was situated in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan, and was the last station of the Hebrews. (Calmet) --- In this neighbourhood all the following transactio... [ Continue Reading ]
Initiated to Beelphegor. That is, they took to the worship of Beelphegor, an obscene idol of the Moabites, and were consecrated as it were to him. (Challoner) --- Hebrew, "Israel was attached, or married to Beelphegor," the sun, Adonis or Osiris, whom the psalmist (cv. 28,) styles, the dead, because... [ Continue Reading ]
_People. Assemble the judges, and by their sentence, hang them who have been most guilty. (Onkelos) --- If any of the judges, or princes themselves, have gone astray, let them not be spared. (Haydock) --- The Jews assert, that the malefactor was always killed before his body was hung on a gibbet; an... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judges, who had not been guilty. Septuagint, "to the tribes." The judges, and even private individuals, were thus authorized to exterminate the guilty, as the Levites had been before, Exodus xxxii. 27. While punishment was inflicted but slowly, and some perhaps of the more noble were spared, so tha... [ Continue Reading ]
One, Zambri, ver. 14. (Menochius) --- Went in. Hebrew, "brought unto his brethren, or came....with a woman of Madian." Septuagint, "introduced one of his brethren to a Madianite woman." But the Samaritan copy agrees with the Vulgate; and the ancient edition of the Septuagint must have done so too, s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Dagger. Josephus translates romach, by romphaia, "a sword." Septuagint by seiromasten, a long and sharp iron rod, like a spit, such as people used to try if any smuggled goods be concealed. (Haydock) --- It denotes any sort of offensive weapon. (Calmet) --- The Vulgate sometimes translates, a lance... [ Continue Reading ]
_Parts. Ovid says, Lethifer ille locus, "That place where wounds so often deadly prove." Hebrew kubbak, means brothel-house just before, a bead, vault, cistern, belly, &c. Septuagint translate, "through her womb." The plague, inflicted by God, instantly ceased, to shew the divine approbation of this... [ Continue Reading ]
_Slain. Hebrew adds, "in the plague," or pestilence sent by God, (Psalm cv. 29,) and in the punishments inflicted by the judges, "twenty and four thousand." (Haydock) --- The tribe of Simeon, lying to the south, had given way to greater disorders with the Madianites; (Calmet) so that they were found... [ Continue Reading ]
Peace. He has the honour of restoring the people to peace and to my favour, so that my covenant shall still subsist with them. He shall surely be his father's successor in the high priesthood, and shall not be prevented by death.... [ Continue Reading ]
Seed. A short interruption of 150 years (from Heli to Abiathar, of the race of Ithamar) may be accounted trifling in a duration of so many ages, during which the posterity of Phinees enjoyed this dignity. Phinees succeeded Eleazar and had for his successors, Abiezer Bocci, and Elsi. (Calmet) --- Som... [ Continue Reading ]
_Kindred. Hebrew, "of a chief house among the Simeonites," as Sur was of equal nobility, "head over a people, and of a chief house in Madian," ver. 15. (Haydock) --- He is styled king, and one of the five princes of the nation, chap. xxxi. 8._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Madianites. God spared the Moabites for the sake of Lot (Deuteronomy ii. 19,) and of Ruth, of whom David and Christ should be born. They were perhaps less guilty, but they did not escape due chastisement under David, 2 Kings viii. 2. (Menochius) --- The war against Madian was the last which the Heb... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XXV.... [ Continue Reading ]