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cannot be well understood. However, the nearest approach to a reasonable explanation seems to be derived from a reference to the fact, that the Orientals, when they wish to be at their ease, sit, lounge, or recline on or against various kinds and qualities of rich pillows or cushions; and, as the evil woman in the Proverbs alludes to the costliness and richness of those which belonged to her divan or 'bed,' among the circumstances by which she sought to seduce the young man void of understanding' to her snare, it is not unreasonable to suppose that something of the same kind may be here intended, since it appears that females of loose character are alluded to in this, as they certainly are in the other instance. It is not impossible that the women here mentioned were false prophetesses, or female votaries of 'the queen of heaven,' and that the prophet has in view the arts which they employed to seduce the faithful to a participation in the impure rites which so disgracefully signalized her worship.

'Kerchiefs upon the head of every stature.'-The meaning of this seems to be, that they put kerchiefs upon the heads of females of every age (or stature) whom they had brought to join their society. But what this kerchief was, and what peculiarity made it instrumental to hunt (or seduce) souls' may be difficult to conjecture; perhaps it was merely a rich or peculiar veil or head-dress, which

rendered their presence attractive; and possibly it did at the same time, by its shape or ornament, denote the profession or character of those who wore them, and which is, in the East, in all cases, more generally expressed by the head-dress than by anything else. It is clear that these women practised divinations, and pretended to deliver oracles, which contradicted the Divine propheciespromising peace and safety where they predicted death and desolation. Joining this to the fact that Astarte was reputed to deliver oracles, and that, as appears from both Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the Hebrews-and particularly the women-were at this time greatly addicted to the wor ship of this idol, we may reasonably presume that these women were not only false prophetesses, but, as such, votaries of Astarte; and, if this be premised, the impurities practised by her worshippers may countenance the given explanation concerning the 'pillows' and the 'kerchiefs;' and with reference to the latter we may add, that in the figures of Astarte there is always something remarkable about the head-dress. Macrobius describes her as represented by her worshippers in Mount Lebanon under the figure of an afflicted woman, with her head covered, and leaning upon her left hand, mourning for Adonis.

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19. For handfuls of barley.'-A proverbial expression for the humblest presents.'

CHAPTER XIV.

1 God answereth idolaters according to their own heart. 6 They are exhorted to repent, for fear of judgments, by means of seduced prophets. 12 God's irrevocable sentence of famine, 15 of noisome beasts, 17 of the sword, 19 and of pestilence. 22 A remnant shall be reserved for example of others.

THEN came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GoD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn 'yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and

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31 Kings 22. 23.

cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a 'sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;

11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.

12 T The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

14 "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass

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through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

16 Though these three men were 'in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

18 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

19¶ Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall

6 Or, bereave.

deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteous

ness.

21 T For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

22¶ Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

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Verse 14. Noah, Daniel, and Job.'-The mention of those holy patriarchs, Noah and Job, does not require any explanation; but that Daniel, who was then living, and still a rather young man, should be joined with them in this manner may be pointed out as a most distinguished honour conferred upon that prophet. Daniel was taken captive in the third year of Jehoiakim. (Dan. i. 1.) After this Jehoiakim reigned eight years. (2 Kings xxiii. 26.) And this prophecy, as appears from chap. viii. 1, was uttered in the sixth year of Jehoiachin's captivity, who succeeded Jehoiakim, and reigned only three months. (2 Kings xxiv. 6, 8.) Therefore at this time Daniel had been fourteen years in captivity.' (Newcome.) At this

time, as we may see from the history in the early chap ters of his own book, he had been for many years the most conspicuous and remarkable man of the Hebrew nation then living, whether we regard his exalted piety, and the singular favour which the Lord had shewn unto him, or the high and influential place which he occupied at the Babylonian court. Is it not possible that the especial and singular mention of Daniel in this passage may have partly been intended to counteract an impression entertained by his countrymen, that his high station and great influence with Nebuchadnezzar rendered improbable, or would be successful in averting, those calamities which Jeremiah and Ezekiel foretold?

CHAPTER XV.

3 By the unfitness of the vine branch for any work 6 is shewed the rejection of Jerusalem.

AND the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. 'Is it meet for any work?

5 Behold, when it was whole, it was 'meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

6 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 And I will set my face against them ; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have "committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

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CHAPTER XVI.

1 Under the similitude of a wretched infant is shewed the natural state of Jerusalem. 6 God's extraordinary love towards her. 15 Her monstrous whoredom. 35 Her grievous judgment. 44 Her sin, matching her mother, and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria, calleth for judgments. 60 Mercy is promised her in the end,

AGAIN the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy 'birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.

4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

5 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.

6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee 'polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

7 I have 'caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to 'excellent ornaments thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.

8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy "blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.

11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.

12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.

15 beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

But thou didst trust in thine own

16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.

17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

18 And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine. oil and mine incense before them.

19 My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.

20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them 'to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,

21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

22 And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.

23 And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)

24 That thou hast also built unto thee an 1°eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.

25 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whore

doms.

26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms to provoke me to anger.

27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine

13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and thee. upon Heb. of a male. 10 Or, brothel-house.

1 Heb. cutting out, or, habitation.

5 Heb. ornament of ornaments.

2 Or, when I looked

6 Heb. bloods.

4 Heb. made thee a million. Heb. to devour.

3 Or, trodden under foot.

8 Heb. a savour of rest.

ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the "daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd

way.

28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.

29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

30 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;

31 In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; 32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband! 33 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.

34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary. 35

Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word

of the LORD:

36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

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stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

41 And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.

42 So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.

43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

44 ¶ Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.

45 Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children : : your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand : and "thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

47 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.

18

48 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me therefore I took them away as I saw good.

51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.

52 Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

16 2 Kings 25. 9. 18 Or, that was lothed as a small thing.

53 When I shall bring again their captivity,

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the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

54 That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.

55 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate. 56 For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy "'pride,

20.

57 Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of 22Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which "despise thee round about.

58 Thou hast 24borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.

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59 For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the cove

nant.

60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

61 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.

62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:

63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

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not in others. The passage is interesting, as shewing what the customs of the ancient Hebrews were in this matter. According to R. Kimchi, all these acts were considered of such immediate necessity, that the traditions of the elders allowed them to be performed even on the sabbath-day.

As to the salting, it is said to have been performed either by sprinkling the infant with salt, or by using salt and water. The custom was by no means confined to the Hebrews; it was in extensive use, and is still preserved, in some parts of the East. The salting was considered to dry up all superfluous humours, to purify the body, and

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