xxxix. 11. “And it shall stop the noses of the passengers." Dr. Roberts reads, "and it shall be stopped up by the passengers."

xl. 1. "In the five-and-twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten." Newcombe reads, "In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the first month, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten."*

* It has been surmised that the prophetic vision of Ezekiel is only a model of that which was designed for the Jewish nation on the rebuilding of the second temple, being their Utopian condition between that period and the birth of Christ, which they forfeited by their wilful unbelief and disobedience. To this objection it may be answered, that the second temple never equalled in glory the first, and that of Ezekiel is described as superior to either or both. It is evident that the same prophecy not unfrequently embraces more than one event; and it will be admitted that the Jews, after their liberation from Babylonish servitude, had profited by such a judicial visitation, and did not relapse into the same idolatry, whether in kind or degree, which had previously provoked the divine displeasure. They never, however, became united as tribes, for the Jews and Samaritans continued to repudiate each other, polemical feuds ensued, while a mixed worship characterised that of Samaria; and so far from enjoying great temporal and spiritual prosperity, the peace of their Jewish brethren was interrupted by the necessity on the part of their Ashmonean rulers to defend their territory constantly and energetically against foreign aggression. The temple itself was desecrated; the high priesthood latterly became elective and venal, prophetical revelation had ceased, and tradition had usurped its place, together with human doctrines and ordinances; the church was split into sects of Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Herodians, till the Romans possessed themselves of their kingdom.

"Unhappy land, whose blessings tempt the sword." Collins.

It follows that the prophecy in question has never yet been fully accomplished; and unless the purpose of Jehovah can and will be frustrated, it remains to be fulfilled hereafter, whether literally,

xl. 14. "He made also posts of threescore cubits." In the Greek version, the angel is not characterised as the maker of this temple, or of its parts, but only as showing to the prophet the vision of its architecture. The Hebrew word for "posts," Dr. Wall has translated "fronts," or abutments. The Septuagint reads, καὶ τὸ αἴθριον τοῦ αἰλὰμ τῆς πύλης ἔξωθεν, πήχεις εἴκοσι, “ the front of the porch of the outer gate was twenty cubits." The Vulgate has frontes; Castalio, appendices; and Tremellius, limina.

spiritually, or both, which will ultimately become the eventful crisis of evangelical blessing to the whole Gentile world. The very fact of the Jews being preserved as a distinct people affords a presumption that they will not be merged into any other than their own nationality, when reingrafted into the Christian church. There is a prominence given by Zechariah, who prophesies of the same event, to the Feast of Tabernacles, those of the Passover and Pentecost having more particularly received their accomplishment. The appointed ordinances of Ezekiel do not correspond with the Mosaic, nor with those reinstituted by Ezra, but may be understood rather to be a eucharistic exhibition of Christianity, having a dissimilarity both of national observances and prohibitions. There is no evening, but only a morning sacrifice, nor mention of a pontifical dignity, but of a Christian priesthood. The altar has steps, which were disallowed by the Levitical law. It is a theocracy under a civil governor, who exercises a princely prerogative, and a union therefore of church and state, established on a more popular principle of association. The dimensions of the holy city, together with the allotment of lands as revenue to the prince, the Levites, and other tribes of Israel, do not tally with any previous division and distribution of such property, but are sui generis, being of divine and not human ordination, even if some expressions in it will bear a figurative interpretation. The seventy weeks of Daniel, or 490 years, conclude with the death of their Messiah, and the ensuing destiny of Jerusalem, when the Herodian structure of forty-six years' labour became a ruined heap, and Hebrew nationality perished with it; but the future vision of Ezekiel terminates with the reconstitution of their city, temple, and nation, and with the absolute promise of the divine protection and presence.

xl. 17. “Then brought he me into the outward court.” The Septuagint has, εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν, “ into the inner court."

σε

xl. 23. “ The gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east." The Septuagint reads, καὶ πύλη τῇ αὐλῇ τῇ ἐσωτέρᾳ βλέπουσα, ἐπὶ πύλην τοῦ Βοῤῥᾶ, ὃν τρόπον τῆς πύλης τῆς βλεπούσης κατὰ ἀνατολάς, “the gate of the inner court, looking towards the north, was after the fashion of that which looked towards the east."

xl. 42. "A cubit and a half long." The Septuagint reads, καὶ πήχεων δύο ἡμίσους τὸ μῆκος, “ two cubits and a half long."

xl. 43. "And upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.” The Septuagint reads, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς τραπέζας ἐπάνωθεν στέγας, τοῦ καλύπτεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑετοῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ξηρασίας, “ and over the tables was a covering to keep off rain and heat." See 2 Kings xvi. 18.

xl. 44. “ And their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.” The Septuagint reads, μία κατὰ νώτου τῆς πύλης τῆς βλεπούσης πρὸς Βοῤῥᾶν, φέρουσα πρὸς Νότον, καὶ μία κατὰ νώτου τῆς πύλης τῆς πρὸς Νότον, βλεπούσης δὲ πρὸς Βοῤῥᾶν, “ one at the back of the north gate having a prospect toward the south, and one at the back of the south gate having a north prospect."

σε

xl. 49. "And the breadth eleven cubits." The Aldine Septuagint has "ten cubits."

xli. 3. "And the breadth of the door seven cubits." The Septuagint has, καὶ τὰς ἐπωμίδας τοῦ θυρώματος πηχῶν ἑπτὰ ἔνθεν, καὶ πηχῶν ἑπτὰ ἔνθεν, “ and the sides of the door were seven cubits on one side, and seven cubits on the other."

xli. 6. "And they entered into the wall, which was of the house for the side chambers round about." The Septuagint reads, καὶ διάστημα ἐν τῷ τοίχῳ τοῦ οἴκου ἐν τοῖς πλευροῖς κύκλῳ, “ and there was a distance between the wall of the house, and the side chambers round about."

xlii. 1. "Then he brought me forth into the outer court." The Septuagint reads, eis Thy avλnV TYV ÉOWTÉραν κατὰ ἀνατολάς, “into the inner court towards the east."

xlii. 16-20. The measure of 500 reeds in the Hebrew ought in these places to be corrected by πήχεις πενταKoolovs of the Greek text, namely 500 cubits; for the reed being 10 feet 11:328 inches, the length of it would be excessive, more especially if we reckon here the great or Babylonian admeasurement, which is said to have been an ordinary cubit and an handbreadth. Mr. Horne gives the length of the schoenus or measuring line as 145 English feet, 11.004 inches.

xlv. 1. "The length of twenty-five thousand. . . . and the breadth shall be ten thousand." The English version and Tremellius insert "reeds;" but the Greek and Latin leave it undetermined. It is not stated in the Hebrew text whether this measurement is that of reeds or cubits.

DANIEL.

Chap. i. ver. 11. "Then said Daniel to Melzar," or Hamelzar. The Septuagint has 'Aueλoád, and the Vulgate Malasar.

ii. 34. "A stone was cut out without hands." The Septuagint here inserts è opovs, "from a mountain." See

verse 45.

iii. 21. "Their coats, their hose, and their hats." These words might be transmuted with advantage for more suitable nouns substantive descriptive of oriental costume, such as tunics, sandals, and turbans. See marginal reference. An artist would unbecomingly group English clowns in a Jewish design, though sometimes so inventive a genius as Rembrandt took that Dutch liberty. The first article of dress, in the opinion of Mr. Wintle, was an outer robe, which gracefully reached to the ankles, described by Herodotus, Xenophon, and Montfaucon. Instead of the second may be understood a covering for the feet and legs; and of course the third that of the head, without specification of other under clothing. The attire of the Arabians, whether of the peasantry or inhabitants of towns, has been considered by Dr. Kitto to approach the nearest to that of the patriarchal times, and to have undergone the fewest alterations of any eastern nations. The habiliment of the Jewish priests was peculiar to their office; but that of the Levites, though officials of the hierarchy, does not appear to have been distinguished from that of ordinary persons, till a short time before the fall of Jerusalem, when Josephus