No. 56.-NUMBERS v. 17.

The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel.

IN the Asiatic Researches, (vol. i. p. 389.) is a curious account of the trials by ordeal, practised amongst the Hindoos. They have no less than nine different methods of conducting this test, one of which is strikingly. conformable to the trial by the water of jealousy. "Trial by the cosha is as follows: the accused is made to drink three draughts of the water in which the images of the Sun, of Devi, and other deities, have been washed for that purpose; and if, within fourteen days, he has any sickness, or indisposition, his crime is considered as proved."

No. 57.-X. 31. Thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.] The importance of a guide in traversing the deserts must be evident, when we peruse the following extract from BRUCE's Travels, (vol. iv. p. 586.) "A hybeer is a guide, from the Arabic word hubbar, to inform, instruct, or direct, because they are used to do this office to the caravan travelling through the desert in all its directions, whether to Egypt and back again, the coast of the Red Sea, or the countries of Sudan, and the western extremities of Africa. They are men of great consideration, knowing perfectly the situation. and properties of all kinds of water to be met on the route, the distances of wells, whether occupied by enemies or not, and if so, the way to avoid them with the least inconvenience. It is also necessary to them to know the places occupied by the simoom, and the seasons of their blowing in these parts of the desert; likewise those occupied by moving sands. He generally belongs to some powerful tribe of Arabs inhabiting

these deserts, whose protection he makes use of to assist his caravans, or protect them in time of danger, and handsome rewards are always in his power to distribute on such occasions: but now that the Arabs in these desarts are every where without government, the trade between Abyssinia and Cairo given over, that between Sudan and the metropolis much diminished, the importance of the office of hybeer, and its consideration, is fallen in proportion, and with these the safe conduct.

No. 58.-xi. 1. The fire of the Lord burnt among them.] Commentators have understood this to mean lightning, or the breaking forth of fire from the cloud, which marked the presence of God; but it may be as natural to explain it of the deadly fiery wind which sometimes appears in those eastern deserts. Maillet mentions its being felt in the desert between Egypt and Mecca, in part of which Israel wandered forty years. "If the north wind happens to fail, and that from the south comes in its place, then the whole caravan is so sickly and exhausted that three or four hundred persons are wont, in common, to lose their lives; even greater numbers, as far as fifteen hundred, of whom the greatest part are stifled on the spot, by the fire and dust of which this fatal wind seems to be composed." (p. 228.)

No. 59. xi. 5. Onions.] "Whoever has tasted onions in Egypt must allow that none can be had better in any part of the universe. Here they are sweet, in other countries they are nauseous and strong; here they are soft, whereas in the north, and other parts, they are hard of digestion. Hence they cannot in any place be eaten with less prejudice and more satisfaction than in Egypt. They eat them roasted, cut into four pieces, with some bits of roasted meat, which the Turks in

Egypt call kobab, and with this dish they are so delighted, that I have heard them wish they might enjoy it in paradise. They likewise make soup of them in Egypt, cutting the onions in small pieces: this I think one of the best dishes I ever eat."

HASSELQUIST's Voyages, p. 290.

No. 60.-xi. 5. Melons.] By this we are probably to understand the water-melon, which, according to Hasselquist (Voyage, p. 255.) "the Arabians call batech. It is cultivated on the banks of the Nile, in the rich clayey earth which subsides during the inundation. This serves the Egyptians for meat, drink, and physic, It is eaten in abundance during the season, even by the richer sort of people; but the common people, on whom Providence has bestowed nothing but poverty and patience, scarcely eat any thing but these, and accourt this the best time of the year, as they are obliged to put up with worse fare at other seasons. This fruit likewise serves them for drink, the juice refreshing these poor creatures, and they have less occasion for water than if they were to live on more substantial food in this burning climate." This well explains the Israelites' regretting the want of this fruit in the parched thirsty

wilderness.

No. 61.-xii. 14. If her father had but spit in her face.] Chardin observes, that "spitting before any one, or spitting upon the ground in speaking of any one's actions, is, through the East, an expression of extreme detestation." Hence we find it prescribed by the law, (Deut, xxv. 9.) as a mark of disgrace.

HARMER, vol. ii. p. 510.

No. 62.-xx. 19. If I and my cattle drink of thy water, then will I pay for it.] The value of water in the

East is much greater than is commonly understood. Its scarcity in many instances renders a well an important possession: it is not then to be wondered at that contention should arise on the probability of losing it, Gen. xxvi. 20. MAJOR ROOKE relates a circumstance of this kind, which cost several their lives, to such an extremity was the matter carried. He says, "one morning when we had been driven by stress of weather into a small bay, called Birk Bay, the country around it being inhabited by the Budoos, (Bedoweens) the noquedah sent his people on shore to get water, for which it is always customary to pay; the Budoos were, as the people thought, rather too exorbitant in their demands, and not choosing to comply with them, returned to make their report to their masters; on hearing it, rage immediately seized him, and, determined to have the water on his own terms or perish in the attempt, he buckled on his armour, and, attended by his myrmidons, carrying their match-lock guns and lances, being twenty in number, they rowed to the land. My Arabian servant, who went on shore with the first party, and saw that the Budoos were disposed for fighting, told me that I should certainly see a battle. After a parley of about a quarter of an hour, with which the Budoos amused them till near an hundred were assembled, they proceeded to the attack, and routed the sailors, who made a precipitate retreat, the noquedah and two others having fallen in the action, and several being wounded." (Travels, p. 53.) Hence we discover the conformity of the ancient and modern custom of buying the water, and the serious consequences that have ensued from disputes respecting it. This narration also gives energy to the complaint in Lam. v. 4. We have drank our own water for money.

No. 63.—xxiv. 17. There shall come a star out of

Jacob.] This prophecy may possibly in some sense relate to David, but without doubt it belongs principally to Christ. Here the metaphor of a sceptre was common and popular, to denote a ruler, like David: but the star, though, like the other, it signified in the prophetic writings a temporal prince or ruler, yet had a secret and hidden meaning likewise. A star in the Egyptian hieroglyphics denoted God. Thus God in the prophet Amos, reproving the Israelites for their idolatry on their first coming out of Egypt, says, have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? but ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun, your images, the star of your God which ye made to yourselves. (Amos v. 25, 26.) The star of your God is a noble figurative expression to signify the image of your God; for a star being employed in the hieroglyphics to signify God, it is used here with great elegance to signify the material image of a God: the words, the star of your God, being only a repetition of the preceding, Chiun, your image; and not (as some critics suppose) the same with your God-star. Hence we conclude that the metaphor here used by Balaam of a star was of that abstruse mysterious kind, and so to be understood, and consequently that it related only to Christ, the eternal son of God." (WARBURTON's Divine Legation, b. iv. sec. 4.) BISHOP NEWTON however is of opinion that the literal meaning of the prophecy respects the person and actions of David. (Dissertations on the prophecies, vol. i. p. 139.)

No. 64.-xxxv. 31. Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer.] Moses absolutely forbids the acceptance of any compensation for the life of a murderer. Through the influence of money it appears that punishment was often evaded in some countries, and probably till this time among the Jews. The BARON