2

CHAPTER XIX. VERSES 2, 3.

> And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. 3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee.

A principle of the broadest kind is here enunciated, which should be applied to the practical life of professed Christians. The vice of Jehoshaphat was that of moral weakness, his virtue that of ready repentance under the perception of truth. A great brewer has truly said that the contest between church and school on the one hand, and that of the beer-shop and gin-palace on the other, is but one development of the war continually waged between heaven and hell. It surely would be wise in all persons of influence-especially ministers, magistrates, and members of Parliament—to put to themselves this question of Jehu the seer,— “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?" Were they honestly to do this, should we ever behold the moral anomaly of men in authority presiding over the feasts of publicans, and giving toasts in honor of a deadly and demoralizing trade?

CHAPTER XXVI. VERSE 10.

Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vinedressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.

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AND VINEDRESSERS IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND IN CARMEL] Hebrew, vě-kormim behahrim uvak-karmel, and vinedressers in the mountains and in the fruitful place.' Margin of A. V., ‘fruitful field.' [See Note on 2 Kings xix. 23.]

CHAPTER XXIX. VERSE 35.

And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings, and of the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

AND OF THE DRINK-OFFERINGS] Hebrew, uvan-nesakim, and with the libations.' The Lxx. has tōn spōndōn, 'of the outpourings'; the V., libamina, 'libations.'

CHAPTER XXX. VERSE 13.

And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD] Hebrew, eth-khag ham-matzoth, 'the festival of unfermented cakes.'

CHAPTER XXX. VERSE 21.

And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.

THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD] Hebrew, eth-khag ham-matzoth, 'the festival of unfermented cakes.'

CHAPTER XXXI. VERSE 5.

And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.

THE FIRSTFRUITS OF CORN, WINE, AND OIL, AND HONEY] Hebrew, rashith, dahgan, tirosh, ve-yitzhar, u-d'vash, 'the firsts of corn, vine-fruit, olive-and-orchard fruit, and honey.' The margin of the A. V. gives 'dates' as the alternative reading for 'honey,' as it is not probable that the fruit of the palm tree was exempt from this tithing. The Lxx. has aparcheen sitou, kai oinou, kai elaiou, kai mellitos, 'the first of corn, and wine, and oil, and honey.' The V. has primitias frumenti, et vini, et olei, et mellis, 'the firsts of corn, and of wine, and of oil, and of honey.'

CHAPTER XXXII. VERSE 28.

Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.

OF CORN, AND WINE, AND OIL] Hebrew, dahgan, ve-tirosh, ve-yitzhar, '(the increase of) corn, and vine-fruit, and olive-and-orchard fruit' The Lxx. has sitou, oinou, kai elaiou; the V., frumenti, vini, et olei, ‘of corn, of wine, and of oil.’

THE BOOK OF EZRA.

CHAPTER III. VERSE 7.

They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

AND MEAT, AND DRINK, AND OIL] Hebrew, u-mäakal, u-mishteh, vah-shëmën, 'and food, and drink, and oil.' The kind of mishteh is not stated. The Lxx., kai brōmatai kai pota, kai elaion, ‘and meats, and drinks, and oil'; the V., cibum, et potum, et oleum, 'victuals, and drink, and oil.'

CHAPTER VI. VERSE 9.

And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail.

WINE AND OIL] This verse being part of a decree written in Chaldee, the original is khamar—' foaming juice,' corresponding to the Hebrew khěměr in Deut. xxxii. 14 -u-meshakh, 'oil.' The Lxx. has oinōn kai elaion; the V., vinum et oleum.

CHAPTER VI. VERSE 22.

And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD] Hebrew, khag matzoth, 'festival of unfermented-cakes.'

CHAPTER VII. VERSE 17.

That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat-offerings and their drink-offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

AND THEIR DRINK-OFFERINGS] Hebrew, vě-niskāihon, and their libations.'

CHAPTER VII. VERSE 22.

Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.

AND TO AN HUNDRED BATHS OF WINE] Chaldee, vě-ad khamar batin měah, 'and to wine, baths a hundred.' The Lxx. gives kai heōs oinou batōn hekaton, 'and even to a hundred measures of wine'; the V., et usque ad vini batos centum, 'and even to a hundred baths of wine.' [See Note on 2 Chron. ii. 10.]

WITHOUT PRESCRIBING HOW MUCH] according to pleasure or convenience.

Properly, without measure or stint

CHAPTER X. VERSE 6.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

NOR DRINK WATER] Hebrew, u-maim lo shahthah, 'and water he drank not.' To abstain willingly from bread and water was Ezra's manner of expressing grief; to be confined to bread and water would be to many persons one of the greatest miseries of life. To control the appetite, not to pamper it, is the surest means of promoting both health and rational enjoyment. reached until self-denial begins.

Temperance, in fact, is never

THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH.

CHAPTER I. VERSE II.

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

FOR I WAS THE KING'S CUPBEARER] Hebrew, va-ani hah-yithi mashqëh lammèlèk, ‘and I was cup-bearer to the king.' Mashqeh, the participle of shah-qah ‘to drink,' signifies, being in the Hiphil conjugation, 'one who gives drink to another' = a cup-bearer. The Lxx. has oinochoos, 'wine pourer'; the V., pincerna, 'a cup-bearer.' Mashqeh is also translated 'butler' by the A. V. [See Note on Gen. xl. 9.]

CHAPTER II. VERSE 1.

And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

WINE WAS BEFORE HIM] Hebrew, yayin lè-phahnahv, ‘wine (was) before his face.' The Lxx. gives kai een ho oinos enōpion emou, ‘and the wine was before me'; the V., et vinum erat ante eum, and wine was before him.'

AND I TOOK UP THE WINE] Hebrew, vah esah eth hay-yayin, ‘and I lifted up the wine.' The Lxx. has kai elabon ton oinon, and I took the wine'; the V., levavi vinum, 'I raised the wine.'

The office of cup-bearer to an Eastern monarch was one of much importance, from the frequent access it gave to his presence at a time when he would be most inclined to unbend and grant favors; but the constant dread of treason in which such a despot perpetually lived, rendered him acutely observant of the slightest change of demeanor in this attendant. Artaxerxes would, therefore, notice Nehemiah's sadness, and be anxious as to its cause (chap. ii. 2). It has been supposed that in his self-absorption Nehemiah had omitted the indispensable form of pouring a little wine into his own hand and drinking it before presenting the cup to the king; and this omission of the usual protection against poisoning would naturally arouse the monarch's suspicion, and help us to understand why Nehemiah was made very sore afraid' by the king's interrogation.