No. 764.-JOSHUA vii. 6. And put dust upon their heads. THIS was an expression of great grief, and of a deep sense of their unworthiness to be relieved. With this view it was a very usual practice with the Jews, 1 Sam. iv. 12. 2 Sam. i 2.; it was also imitated by the Gentiles, as in the case of the Ninevites, Jonah iii. 6. Homer also. describes Achilles lamenting the death of Patroclus, by throwing dust upon his head, and lying down in it. (Iliad . 23, 24.) Thus also Virgil: It scissâ veste Latinus, Conjugis attonitus fatis, urbisque ruinâ, Latinus tears his garments as he goes, En. xii. 609. DRYDEN. See also Oriental Customs, No. 100, and 433. No. 765.-xvii. 16. Chariots of iron.] This does not intimate that the chariots were made of iron, but that they were armed with it. Such chariots were by the ancients called currus falcati; and in Greek Spravoqupa. They had a kind of scythes of about two cubits long fastened to long axle-trees on both wheels: these being driven swiftly through a body of men made great slaughter, mowing them down like grass or corn. See Xenophon, Cyro-Padia, lib. vi. Quintus Curtius, lib. iv. cap. 9. No. 766.-xxiv. 30. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-Serah.] This place is in Judges ii. 9. called Timnath-heres, because of the image of the sun engraven on his sepulchre, in memory of that famous day when the sun stood still till he had completed his victory. This is asserted by several of the Jewish authors. Memorials alluding to particular transactions in the lives of great men were frequently made use of to adorn their tombs. Tully has recorded concerning Archimedes, that a sphere and a cylinder were put upon his monument. PATRICK, in loc. 870 No. 767-JUDGES i. 14. And she alighted from off her ass. THE alighting of those that ride is considered in the East as an expression of deep respect. Pococke tells us, (Trav. vol. i. p 35.) that they descend from their asses in Egypt when they come near some tombs there, and that Christians and Jews are obliged to submit to this. HARMER, vol. ii. P. 116. No. 768.—iv. 19. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink.] Jael certainly shewed her regard to Israel by destroying Sisera, but it is as certain that she did not do it in the most honorable manner-there was treachery in it: perhaps in the estimation of those people, the greatest treachery. Among the later Arabs, giving a person drink has been thought to be the strongest assurance of their receiving him under their protection. When Guy de Lusignan, king of Jerusalem, was taken prisoner, and was conducted before Saladin, he demanded drink, and they gave him fresh water, which he drank in Saladin's presence: but when one of his lords would have done the same, Saladin would not suffer it, because he did not intend to spare his life: on the contrary, advancing to him, after some expostulations, he cut off his head.、 D'Herbelot, p. 371. + HARMER, vol. ii. p. 469. No. 769.-v. 10. Ye that ride on white asses.] In this song Deborah expressly addresses herself to those who sit in judgment, whom she describes as riding upon white asses. Officers of justice, it seems, form a part of the procession, and they are going up to the high place, as περί αρετών, usual, for the purpose of holding their annual judgment. They ride on asses, which appear to be white from the garments which have been spread over them for the accommodation of their riders; none but white garments being worn by the Hebrews during their public festivals and days of rejoicing. When Alexander the Great came to Jerusalem, we are informed by Josephus, ( Ant. l.xi. c. 8.) that he was met by the people in white raiment, the priests going before them Philo also, in his book describing the public rejoicings in Europe and Asia, speaks of sacrifices, men dressed in white and garlands, solemn assemblies, and nightly feasts, with pipe and harp. It was customary to throw the white garments thus worn, over animals that carried persons of distinction. Hurdis's Diss. p. 62. Dr. Gill seems rather to favour the idea, that they were realy white asses, not such as were made to appear so from having white garments thrown over them. He observes that a traveller in those parts (Cartwright) tells us, that on the banks of the Euphrates they had beheld every day great droves of wild beasts, as wild asses, &c. all white. No. 770.-v. 11. They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water.] Shaw mentions (Trav. p. 20.) a beautiful rill in Barbary, which is received into a large bason called shrub we krub, (drink and away) there being great danger of meeting there with rogues and assassins. If such places be proper for the lurking of murderers in times of peace, they must be suit able to lie in ambush in times of war; a circumstance that Deborah takes notice of in her song. HARMER, vol. ii. p. 235. No. 771.-v. 30. Have they not divided the prey to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needle-work, of divers colours of needle work on both sides.] These were the richest part of the spoil, being highly esteemed by all people. Pliny (lib. viii. cap. 48.) mentions a great variety of them, both in his own and in ancient times: for he takes no notice that Homer speaks of painted garments, pictas vestes, which shone with flowers and trees in beautiful colours. The Phrygians afterwards wrought these with needles, and Attalus invented the interweaving of gold into them. But, for these garments, Babylon was above all places famous; from whence they had the name of Babylonish garments and were much valued, Josh. viii. 21. In later ages Peter Martyr observes that they were so esteemed, that only the greater sort of persons were allowed to wear them; which may be the reason that they are here appropriated to Sisera as his part of the spoil. No. 772.-vi. 19. And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it. ] "There is a passage in Dr. Shaw, that affords a perfect commentary on this text. It is in his preface p. 12. Besides a bowl of milk, and a basket of figs, raisins, or dates, which upon our arrival were presented to us to stay our appetites, the master of the tent where we lodged fetched us from his flock according to the number of our company, a kid or a goat, a lamb or a sheep; half of which was immediately seethed by his wife, and served up with cuscasooe: the rest was made kab-ab, i. e. cut into pieces and roasted; which we reserved for our breakfast or dinner next day'." May we not imagine that Gideon, presenting some slight refreshment to the supposed prophet, according to the present Arab mode, desired him to stay till he could provide something more substantial for him; that he im |