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The Arabic reads vineyards. The preceding extract from Mr Robson shows how literally accurate is the classification of 'corn, vine-fruit, and orchard-fruit,' for the triad of natural productions.

A LAND OF BREAD AND VINEYARDS] Hebrew, eretz lekhem ukrahmim, a land of bread (or bread-corn wheat) and of vineyards.' For this use of lekhem see

Isa. xxviii. 28.

A LAND OF OIL OLIVE AND OF HONEY] Hebrew, ĕretz zaith yitzhar ud’vash, ‘a land of the olive tree (or olive fruit), of orchard fruit, and of honey.' Had Rabshakeh meant to allude to olive oil he would not have used this construction, but shemen zaith, the oil of the olive.' [See Exod. xxvii. 20; Lev. xxiv. 2.] Zaith yitzhar seems designed to indicate that the olive was of or belonging to the class of orchard fruits which formed so large a portion of the agricultural wealth, and it may have been specially named as the most distinguished member of the class and proper representative of it. Another admissible interpretation would be to take yitzhar in the sense of brightness or splendor (from tzahar, to shine), and read 'the olive of brightness (or splendor)'= the splendid or superlative olive. [As to devash, see Note on Gen. xliii. 11.]

CHAPTER XIX. VERSE 23.

By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.

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THE FOREST OF HIS CARMEL] Hebrew, yäar Karmillo, the forest of his garden,' its forest like a garden. So Gesenius,-'the nursery of trees in the recesses of Lebanon.' Karmel is from kerem, with the addition of el, which gives it a diminutive force, as Gesenius thinks; but certainly also an intensive force, as in English 'darling' little dear very dear. Hence, as kerem signified generically a cultivated or fruitful place, and specifically a vineyard, karmel came to denote also a spot peculiarly fruitful. Geres karmel (grits of the garden) is used in Lev. ii. 14 to signify grits made from the early grain grown in the gardens. In Lev. xxiii. 14, and 2 Kings iv. 42 karmel occurs elliptically for the complete phrase. As a proper name, Karmel is given to the fruitful mountainous promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and also to a mountain and town in the south of Judea, referred to 1 Sam. xv. 12; xxv. 5.

CHAPTER XIX. VERSE 24.

I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of beseiged places.

I HAVE DIGGED AND DRUNK STRANGE WATERS] Hebrew, ani qarti ve-shah thithi maim zahrim, 'I have digged and drunk foreign waters,'-a boast of Sennacherib that his incursions and conquests were far extended; but some think that he alludes to the plan, often adopted, of diverting waters intended for the protec

tion of towns into channels dug for their reception. Others explain the words of deep (artesian) wells, dug by his army, whence he took water never found before. The only beverage which his troops required was water. It was on such a drink that the Saracens, in later ages, swept over the East and penetrated Spain; and so well known was this habit of theirs, that when one body of imperial troops complained that they were beaten because they were not allowed wine, their commander caustically asked, "How comes it, then, that your conquerors drink nothing but water ?"

CHAPTER XIX. VERSE 29.

And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.

AND PLANT VINEYARDS, AND EAT THE FRUITS THEREOF] Hebrew, vě-nitu k'rahmim vě-iklu phiram, ‘and plant vineyards and eat their fruit.' [See Note on xviii. 31.]

CHAPTER XXIII. VERSE 9.

Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.

UNLEAVENED BREAD] Hebrew, matzoth, unfermented cakes.

CHAPTER XXV. VERSE 12.

But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

VINEDRESSERS] Hebrew, lè-kormim, 'as vinedressers,' from koram, ‘a vineyard

man.'

THE

FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES.

CHAPTER IX. VERSE 29.

Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.

AND THE WINE] Hebrew, ve-hay-yayin, and the wine.' The Lxx. has kai tou oinou, 'and of the wine'; the V., et vino, and with the wine.' AND THE OIL] Hebrew, vě-hash-shěměn. Here yayin and shemen are conjoined as liquids,- -as tirosh and yitzhar, in numerous passages, are conjoined as solids.

CHAPTER XII. VERSE 40.

Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.

AND BUNCHES OF RAISINS] Hebrew, vě-tzimmuqim, 'and raisin-clusters.' The Lxx. has staphidas, 'raisins'; the V., uvam passam, 'dried grapes.'

AND WINE AND OIL] Hebrew, vě-yayin vě-shěměn. The Lxx. has oinon elaion, 'wine, olive-oil'; the V., vinum, oleum, 'wine, oil.' [See Note on ix. 29.]

CHAPTER XVI. VERSE 3.

And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

AND A FLAGON OF WINE] Hebrew, va-ashishah, and a raisin-cake.' The Lxx. reads, kai amoriteen, 'and a cake'; the V., et frixam oleo similam, 'and fine flour fried in oil.' [See Note on parallel passage, 2 Sam. vi. 19.]

CHAPTER XXIII. VERSE 29.

Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat-offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size.

AND FOR THE UNLEAVENED CAKES] Hebrew, ham-matzoth, 'the unfermented cakes.'

CHAPTER XXVII. VERSE 27.

And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite.

AND OVER THE VINEYARDS] Hebrew, vè al-hak-k’rahmim, ‘and over the vineyards.' The Lxx. has kai epi tōn chōriōn, ‘and over the fields.' Another reading is kai epi tōn ampelōnōn, and over the vineyards.' The V. is vinearumque cultoribus, and over the cultivators of the vines.'

OVER THE INCREASE OF THE VINEYARDS FOR THE WINE CELLARS]. Hebrew, vě al shebak’rahmim lè-otzroth_hay-yayin, ‘and over the increase of the vineyards for the stores of the wine.' The Lxx. has epi tōn theesauron ton en tois chōriois tou oinou, 'over the treasures of wine in the fields'; the V., cellis vinariis, 'over the wine-cellars.'

CHAPTER XXIX. VERSE 21.

And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burntofferings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink-offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

WITH THEIR DRINK-OFFERINGS] Hebrew, vè-nāiskihen, ‘and their libations.' So both Lxx. and V.

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THE

SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES.

CHAPTER II. VERSE IO.

And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

AND TWENTY THOUSAND BATHS OF WINE] Hebrew, ve-yayin batim ĕsrim ělěph ' and wine, baths, thousands twenty.' The bath, as a fluid measure, corresponded with the ephah as a dry measure, and was equal to seven gallons four pints English. The Lxx. has oinou, the V. vini, 'of wine.'

CHAPTER II. VERSE 15.

Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants.

AND THE WINE] Hebrew, hay-yayin, the wine.' The LAA. reads ton oinon; the V., vinum.

CHAPTER VIII. VERSE 13.

Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

IN THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD] Hebrew, be-khag ham-matzoth, ‘in the festival of unleavened cakes.'

CHAPTER XI. VERSE II.

And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

AND OF OIL AND WINE] Hebrew, vè-shèmèn vè-yayin, 'and of oil and wine.' The Lxx. has kai elaiou kai oinou; the V., et olei et vini.

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