A. M. 2553, in the division of the heavens, or in the horizon, and hasted not to go down about a &c. or 3883. whole day." Ant. Chris. 1451, &c. But all this may have been produced, not indeed without a miracle and a great miraor 1608. cle, but certainly without stopping the rotatory motion of the earth. We know that the sun, by one of the present laws of nature, appears to be in the horizon, after he has actually sunk a degree or two below it. What is the cause of this phenomenon? The common reply is the refractive power of the atmosphere; but this, like the words attraction and repulsion in astronomy, is nothing more than metaphorical language; for, in the proper sense of the word, the atmosphere can have no power. The fact is simply this, that by the will of God, which first brought the universe into being, and now supports it in its present form, a ray of light, passing obliquely out of a rare medium into a denser, is bent at the point of incidence towards the perpendicular, and bent more or less according to the density of the medium into which it passes. If the rays of the setting sun be so bent at present as to make him appear visible in the horizon, when we know him to be a certain number of degrees below it; might not he, who by a mere act of volition produces regularly this effect, by a different act of volition, so order matters, that a ray of light passing from the sun to this earth should be so bent at the angle of incidence and during its progress through the atmosphere, which is of unequal density, as to make the sun visible at once over half the globe, or even over the whole? No man of reflection will say that he could not; and if so, the solar light might have been made to linger on the temples of Gibeon, and the moon to appear in the valley of Ajalon, without stopping the diurnal rotation of the earth, and producing that violent reaction, which is commonly urged as an insuperable objection to the Scriptural account of this miracle. The objection in itself is indeed of no force; for he who could make the rotation of the earth to cease for a few hours, could at the same time prevent the natural consequences of such a sudden cessation of motion so rapid; and to Almighty power it was as easy to do all this as to bend a ray of light, round half the surface of our globe, which would have equally served the only purpose for which the miracle appears to have been wrought. The bending of the ray would have been just as great a miracle as the suspending of the motion of the earth; for by either means the duration of the light of day would have been so protracted, as to render that day without a parallel in the annals of the world; and I have stated the alternative, only to shew the unlearned reader that there is nothing, in this stupendous miracle, more difficult to be conceived than there is in every other work of Almighty power-even in the ordinary works carried on according to what is called the laws of nature.] CHAPTER II. FROM THE DEATH OF JOSHUA TO THE DEATH OF SAMPSON. Ant. Chris. THE HISTORY. of Ruth. A. M. 2561, AFTER the death of Joshua * no particular person, that we read of, succeeded him in From Judges &c. or 3829. the government; and therefore the most probable opinion is, that every tribe was go- i. to the end 1443, &c. verned by their respective heads, or elders, (which form of government subsisted about or 1582. thirty years), and that, in their wars with the Canaanites, they made them their commanders. For, several of the Canaanitish kings remaining still unconquered, the Israelites unanimously resolved to set about their reduction; and accordingly repaired to the oracle at Shiloh, to ask directions of God which tribe should begin the war. God's orders were, that the tribe of Judah should begin; and therefore they, taking to their assistance the tribe of Simeon, first set upon the cruel † king of Bezek; sacked the town, killed ten thousand of its inhabitants, and, as he was endeavouring to make his escape, seized him, and cut †2 off his thumbs and great toes, in the like manner as he had done to no less than seventy little kings or princes, whom he compelled to gather their meat like dogs under his table: So that the similitude of his punishment made the tyrant reflect upon his own cruelty, and acknowledge the justice of God in what he had brought upon him. After the conquest of Bezek the two united tribes †3 invested Jerusalem, and, having taken it, put the inhabitants to the sword, and set the place on fire. They thence The Samaritan Chronicle tells us indeed, that, in the last assembly which Joshua held, he nominated twelve chiefs, of every tribe one and put it to the lot who should succeed him in the government; that the lot fell upon his nephew Abel, whom he accordingly crowned, and invested with other ensigns of honour, &c. But this is thought to be no more than a fabulous account invented to fill up this void space of time. Saurin's Dissert. sur Heglon, Roi des Moabites tué, &c. There is another place in Scripture, viz. 1 Sam. xi. 8. where Bezek is mentioned; and since Eusebius and Jerome tell us, that there were, in their days, two towns about seventeen miles from Shechem of the same name, and not far distant from each other, we see nothing of moment to hinder them from being both but one city in former times. Wells's Geography of the Old Testament, vol. ii. + The reason of their mutilating him in this man ner, was to make him uncapable of war any more, +3 We do not read that Jerusalem was ever taken Ant. Chris. or 1564. A. M. 2561, marched to Hebron; and, having made themselves masters of it, went to attack Debir, &c. or 3849 which was part of Caleb's allotment, though the Canaanites at that time had possession 1443, &c. of it. Caleb, † who in all probability was general in these wars, being resolved to storm the place, made proclamation in the camp, that whoever should attack and carry it, should have his daughter Achsah as a reward of his valour; which his gallant nephew Othniel, son to his younger brother Kenaz, achieved, and so not only obtained the beauteous damsel for his wife, but with her a large estate likewise in a well-watered country, which, at her request, her father very generously bestowed on him. Thus the tribe of Simeon assisted that of Judah, to subdue the mountainous parts about Jerusalem, and the southern parts adjoining to the wilderness of Paran; and when this was done, the tribe of Judah, in like manner, assisted the Simeonites to take Gaza, Ashkelon, and Zephah, which was then called Hormah; so that these places in after-ages came into their possession. Encouraged by these successes, the family of Joseph undertook the conquest of Bethel; and to this purpose sent out spies to take a survey of the town, and to gain what intelligence they could. They perceiving a man coming out of it, immediately seized him, but promised to spare his life, upon condition that he would give them the best information he could in what way the town was approachable. The man did so; and by his information they succeeded so well, that, sending for their forces, they entered the place, and put all the inhabitants to the sword, except the man who had given them intelligence and his family. The other tribes had equally good success in gaining the possession of the lands that were allotted them; only the tribe of Dan was compelled to quit the plains for fear of the Amorites, and to retire into the mountainous parts of the country, where they were pent up for some time, until the family of Joseph came to their assistance; and, having restrained the insolence of their enemies, reduced them to a narrower tract of land than what they had at first. One great default, however, in those that were successful against the Canaanites was, that they did not make a right use of their victories, but either through a misplaced lenity, or covetousness, instead of destroying them (as they were commanded), suffered them to live promiscuously among them, and contented themselves with making them tributary; which so far incensed God, that he sent an †2 angel from Gilgal to expostu Who was their general on this occasion is not expressly mentioned either in Scripture, Josephus, or any other ancient historian; and yet it is hardly to be questioned but that Caleb was the person. He was of the tribe of Judah, older than any other by twenty years; and yet, like Moses, he continued in his full strength and vigour. He and Joshua were the only two spies who, having searched out the land, gave a true report of it; and therefore, as Joshua was the first general, he had the greatest right to succeed him, and this might be the reason why Joshua at his death named no other. He and Joshua were the two only persons to whom the Israelites gave inheritances for their signal services; and, as his inheritance lay unconquered in this tribe, he had the greatest reason to be active in reducing it. His name alone is men. tioned in all these wars; and as his son-in-law, Othniel, was the first deliverer of the Israelites from their oppressions, he seems to have succeeded Caleb in this dignity, as his nearest and most valiant relation. Bedford's Scripture Chronology, lib. v. c. 3. The Jews are generally of opinion, that by this angel we are to understand a prophet, who was sent by God as a messenger, which the word very often imports; and this messenger they commonly take to have been Phineas, who was employed upon this errand. We can see no reason however for their departing from the usual signification of the word, especially when there is no absurdity in it, and the sense of the context seems to require our retaining it. Nay, there is reason to say, that the person who here reproves the Israelites was something more than a created angel; for who but God can speak in this style, " I made you to go out of Egypt?" No prophet, nor any created angel, durst have been so bold: And therefore the opinion of most Christian interpreters is, that it was the Son of God, who is frequently in Scripture called the "Angel of the covenant." And fit it was for him to appear now as coming from Gilgal, to put them in mind of his illustrious appear. ance near that place once before, of the assurance he then gave them of his presence with them in the conquest of the land, and of the solemn covenant he made with them by renewing of circumcision. The angel's coming up from Gilgal is therefore mentioned as a very pertinent circumstance, to upbraid the Is i. to the end of Ruth. late the matter with them; to remind them of the favour which he had vouchsafed From Judges them, in delivering them out of Egypt, and bringing them into that happy land, of his punctual performance of all the promises he had made them, and of their vile ingratitude in rejecting his precepts, for which he had very justly withdrawn his protection from them. This reproof made the people, for the present, a little sensible of their transgression, so that they fell into a general lamentation; and, deploring the wretchedness of their condition, offered sacrifices to God, in order to appease his wrath. But no sooner was this fit of humiliation over, but continuing still their correspondence with the Canaanites, indulging themselves in their loose conversation, and making intermarriages with them, they fell into idolatry, and worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth, and other idols, of the heathens, which so provoked the Lord, that he left them to themselves; and they (without his protection) made so weak a defence, that they were often taken and enslaved by their enemies. He was The first oppressor that the Israelites had was named Chusan-Rishathaim. king of Mesopotamia, and when he invaded the territories of Israel, he made an easy conquest, and imposed a tribute on them, which lasted for eight years; but at the expiration of that time, God raised up Othniel, Caleb's son-in-law (who was the first of those whom the Scripture calls judges), and inspired him with courage and resolution to take up arms against the king of Mesopotamia, whom he soon defeated, and settled the Israelites in a state of peace and tranquillity, which lasted for forty years. But during this space of time, the people fell into a general apostacy and corruption of manners, whereof the † two following stories are sad and remarkable instances. The tribe of Dan (as we said before) being pent up in the mountainous parts, found their territories much too narrow for them; and therefore they sent out of their body five spies to survey the country, and bring them in intelligence, in what part of the regions round about they might most likely extend their bounds. The spies in their journey came to the house of Micah of Mount Ephraim, whose mother, thinking it too much trouble to go to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices there, had made an idol, and placed it in a private chapel of her son's building: For her son had an †2 ephod raelites with their base ingratitude to God, and with their sloth in not endeavouring to expel the Canaanites. Patrick's Commentary. These two stories are related in the xvii, xviii, and xixth chapters of Judges, and being so placed, they may seem to belong to the latter part of this pe riod; whereas, in the judgment of most learned men, they were transacted much about this time. It is plain from the text, (chap. xvii. 6.) that these things happened when there was no king (i. e. no ruler, for, properly speaking, there had hitherto been no king) in Israel, but every man did what was right in his own eyes; and the reason why Samuel, or whoever was the author of this book, places them here is, because he was not willing to break the thread of his history by intermixing these matters with it, but reserved them to be related apart by themselves. Patrick's Commentary. That the Divine service might be performed with a greater resemblance of what was done at the tabernacle in Shiloh, he made priestly ornaments; for so some learned men take the ephod to comprehend, not only the breast-plate adjoining to it, but all the rest of the vestments used by the high priest. His intention was to set up an oracle in his own house, in imitation of the sanctuary of Moses; and therefore to make the conformity the greater, it is &c. or 3849. A M. 2561, and teraphim, and, for some time, had consecrated one of his own sons to be his priest; Ant. Chris. until a Levite, who had dwelt some time at Bethlehem-Judah, travelling from thence to seek a better settlement, happened to call at Micah's house, and by him was hired to execute that office; whereupon the man was fond enough to believe that God would prosper him not a little, now that he had got a Levite to be his priest. 1443, &c. or 1564. It so happened, that some of these spies being acquainted with this Levite, and after some discourse, understanding in what capacity he served Micah, desired of him to ask counsel of God, what success they might possibly promise themselves in the enterprize they were going upon, and, with the encouragement which he gave them, they proceeded on their search, until they came to Laish; where, observing a pleasant and fruitful country, and the people living in a secure and negligent manner, without any rule or discipline among them, they returned to their brethren, and gave them an account how fruitful the country was, and how easily, in their opinion, the place might be taken by surprize. Upon this, the Danites drew out a party of six hundred men, and sent them to take possession of the city Laish: But in their way through Mount Ephraim, they called at Micah's house, and, in his absence, seized the Levite, the ephod, the teraphim, and other images that Micah had made; and as the Levite was remonstrating against what they had done, they soon pacified him, by representing the advantage of being a priest to a whole tribe rather than any one family; and with the hopes of that he went very willingly along with them. Micah returning home, and understanding that his priest and his gods were gone, musters up his friends, and pursues the Danites; but when he came up with some of the hindmost of them, and was making his complaint against the injury they had done, they wished him to be gone; for that, if he persisted to irritate the rest of the party, it would certainly cost him and his friends their lives: And so continuing their march, on the third day they came to Laish, where, finding it unguarded, they burnt the city, destroyed the inhabitants, and took possession of the country; but, in a short time after, they rebuilt the city, which, after the name of their father, was called Dan, and here setting up the images which they had stolen from Micah, they made this same Levite (whose name was Jonathan) their priest: And in this state of idolatrous worship they continued for about three hundred years, even unto the time † that the ark of God was taken captive by the Philistines, which was in the days of Samuel. Not long after this, the war of the Benjamites broke out, which is another tragical piece of history, and as pregnant a proof of the people's immorality as the other is of their apostacy. The substance of the story is this. A Levite of Mount Ephraim, some hundred years prior to her. Patrick's Commentary, and Jurieu's Hist. des Dogmes & Cult. Par. iii. The words of the text are-" And the children of Dan set up the graven image, and Jonathan and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan, until the day of the captivity of the land," Judges xviii. 30. But then the question is, what we are to understand by the captivity of the land? Now there are two times mentioned in Scripture when the children of Israel were carried away captive by Tiglath-Pileser, when he took Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them into Assyria," 2 Kings xv. 29. And, 2dly, by Salmanasser, who "carried Israel away, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor, by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes," 2 Kings xviii. 11. And to one of these the words of the text are supposed by some learned men to refer; but then it must necessarily follow, that this book was written in later times, even after the former of these captivities at least. It can hardly be supposed, however, that these images should be suffered to continue in the days of David, who was a man after God's own heart, and studied to advance true religion to the utmost of his power all the country over, from Dan to Beersheba; and therefore others, with good reason, conclude, that by the captivity of the land is meant the taking of the ark by the Philistines, and carrying it captive into the temple of Dagon; for so the Psalmist expressly calls that unlucky event-"He forsook the tabernacle in Shiloh, even the tent that he had pitched among them; he delivered their power into captivity, and their beauty into the enemies hands," Psal. lxxviii. 60, 61. Patrick's and Le Clerc's Commentaries. *Josephus relates this story with a good deal of variation from the Sacred History :-That the Le vite's wife was not a lewd woman, but one who did |