13 And there came one that | brother of Eschol, and brother of had escaped, and told Abram the Aner: and these were confedHebrew; for he dwelt in the erate with Abram. plain of Mamre the Amorite,

Septuagint, which is adopted by several of the early Greek fathers, principally no doubt on the authority of that version. The advocates of this opinion object to the derivation of the name from Eber or Heber, the great grandson of Shem, and one of the ancestors of Abraham, on the ground, that the Scriptures do not represent him as an historical personage of any special notoriety, and that no reason can be assigned why his name should now be first used as an appellative of Abraham, seeing that five generations had inter

as to give a sort of melancholy emphasis to the fact of Lot's dwelling in Sodom, which is entirely lost sight of in our translation. The unhappy man now begins to reap the bitter consequences of taking up his abode in the midst of the habitations of wickedness. 'That wealth, which was the cause of his former quarrels, is made a prey to merciless heathens; that place, which his eye covetously chose, betrays his life and goods. How many Christians, whilst they have looked at gain, have lost themselves!' Bp. Hall. 13. And told Abram the Hebrew.vened between him and Eber, during Heb. 83 777. Gr. annγειλἐν Αβραμ τώ περιτη told Abram the passenger. This is the first instance of the occurrence of the word 'Hebrew.' It may perhaps be applied to Abraham here for distinction' sake, to intimate that however closely connect-26, 27, on which we would refer to the ed for a time by league or friendship with his Amoritish neighbours, Mainre and his brethren, he was still mindful of his extraction and his destiny, and had not suffered himself to become a naturalized Canaanite. As to the origin of the term, opinions are much divided. Modern interpreters, particularly of the German school, incline for the most part to have recourse to the etymology of the word, and as

aber has the import of transition or passage, contend that the term was first applied to or taken by Abraham, as an epithet to distinguish him as one that had come from beyond the EuphraAccording to this hypothesis 'Abram the Hebrew' is equivalent to Abrain the Transfluvian, or Transcuphratean.In this they are plainly countenanced by the rendering of the

tes.

which we have no evidence that it was
employed as a patronymic at all. But
to this it may be answered, that no
other descendant of his sustained the
same relation as did Abraham to the
great promise made to Shem, ch. 9.

considerations adduced in our note on
that passage. But apart from this,
the philological reasons appear to us suf-
ficient to warrant this view of the ori-
gin of the name. For (1) had the origi-
nalibri been intended to convey
the import of passer-over which the
Sept. assigns to it, grammatical pro-
priety would have required the parti-
cipial form 21 ober, which has that
distinct meaning. (2.) The analogy of
proper names ending in yod (-) deci-
dedly confirms this mode of understand-
ing it. Most of the patronymic and
gentile nouns in the language are form-
ed in the same way.
Dan-
Moabite from a Moab;
ite from 17 Dan; Calebite from
Caleb; Elonite from
Elon: and so in a multitude of sim-
ilar cases. Why not suppose then

מאבי Thus

14 And when Abram heard | vants, born in his own house, that his brother was taken cap- three hundred and eighteen, and tive, he armed his trained ser- pursued them unto Dan.

Slaves are

of a degraded condition. 1 generally treated with such kindness and favour, that they commonly be come much attached to their masters, and devoted to their interest. They do not till the fields, or work in manufactories. Their employment is almost wholly of a domestic nature, and their labour light. This is partic ularly the case with those who are purchased young and brought up in the family, and still more with those who, like Abraham's, are 'born in the house.' Few Europeans would do for their hired servants what the Asiatics do for their slaves, or repose such en

on this subject will occur as we proceed. Meanwhile it is obvious, that as Abraham had among the slaves born in his own house,' 318 men fit to bear arms, exclusive of purchased slaves, old men, women, and children, he must have been regarded as a powerful chief by the petty princes among whom he dwelt. Hence, a few chap

in the doctrines and duties of religion. But as these foreign kings, in their indiscriminate abduction of the inhabitants of the conquered cities, had carried away Lot who was dwelling peaceably as a sojourner among them, having had no concern in the war or its causes, Abraham deemed the occasion such as to justify him in fitting out an expedition for his recovery, at the same time relying more upon the aid of Providence than upon the skill or numbers of his followers.- -T Born in his own house. Heb. the in-born of his house; in opposition to those acquired by purchase or otherwise from abroad. 'The word translated servant general-tire confidence in them. Illustrations ly denotes what we should call a slave. In subsequent passages we shall indeed have occasion to remark on humble friends or disciples performing servile offices and therefore called 'servants;' and also on the Jewish slaves whom their own countrymen held in bondage for a limited time, and under defined restrictions. But the mass of the servants mentioned in the Scripture his-ters on, ch. 23. 6, the children of Heth tory were absolute and perpetual slaves. say to him, 'My lord, thou are a mighty They were strangers, either purchased prince among us.' Pict. Bible. -T or taken prisoners in war. They and Pursued them unto Dan. 'We learn their progeny were regarded as com- from Judges, 18. 7, that this place was pletely the property of their masters, called Laish until taken by the Danwho could exchange or sell them at ites, who gave it the name by which it pleasure, could inflict what punish-is here mentioned. As this event did ments they pleased, and even, in some cases, put them to death. Abraham's 'servants' were manifestly of this description. This form of slavery is still common in the East; and the facts which the book of Genesis brings under our notice show how little Asiatic usages have altered after the lapse of almost four thousand years. The condition of slavery in Mohammedan Asia is, however, unattended, except in very rare instances, with the revolting circumstances which we usually associale with the word. The term 'slave' itself is not regarded as one of opprobrium, nor does it convey the idea

not occur till long after the death of Moses, who never mentions the old name, that of Dan must have been interpolated by another hand, that the reference might be the more clearly understood. This and other interpolations of existing for ancient names are supposed to have been made by Ezra, when he revised the Old Testament Scriptures. Being at the northern end of Palestine, as Beersheba was at the southern, 'from Dan to Beersheba' became a proverbial expression to designate the entire length of the kingdom. It was situated near the sources of the Jordan; and if that river derived its

15 And he divided himself 16 And he brought back all against them, he and his servants the goods, and also brought again ty night, and smote them, and his brother Lot, and his goods, pursued them unto Hobah, which and the women also, and the is on the left hand of Damascus. people.

village there is another ruined fortress of similar construction. Some travellers attribute these castles to the A:abian caliphs, and others to the crusades and consider that one of the two (they differ in saying which) probably occupies the site, and includes some of the materials of a temple which Herod the Great erected here in honour of Augustus.' Pict. Bible.

15. And he divided himself against them--by night. Heb. cnsis pånn; perhaps more correctly rendered, 'And he came upon them by stealth in the night, he and his servants.' The verb

name from the town, the name must also be interpolated in the books of Moses, in the place of some more ancient name not preserved. This is probable enough; but to avoid this conclusion, some writers prefer to derive the name of the river from the verb Jared, to descend,' on account of the full and rapid course of the stream. The town of Dan is commonly identified with the Paneas of heathen writers, the present Banias. This identity does not seem indisputable. We may, however, state that the name was derived from the worship of Pan, to which a cavern, described by Josephus, was signifies not only to part, to dihere consecrated. The town was great- vide, to distribute, but also to be smooth, ly enlarged and embellished by the Te- or soft; and in Hiphil to polish, to trarch, Herod Philip, who changed its sooth, or flutter. And from this sense name to Cæsarea, in honour of the it may naturally take another, of doing Emperor Tiberius, to which the adjunct any thing covertly or by stealth. Thus Philippi was added, to distinguish it in Jer. 37. 12, it signifies to remove from from the Cæsarea on the coast. Its a place by stealth, leniter et placide se name was afterwards changed to Nero- subducere. Here it may mean that nius, in compliment to Nero. Banias Abraham came upon them in the night is situated in a pleasant and fertile by stealth and surprise, probably while neighbourhood, at the base of a moun- they were asleep, as Josephus says he tain called Djebel Heish. It is now did, which accounts for his putting an merely a village, containing at most army that must have been numerous, 150 houses, chiefly occupied by Turks. to flight with so small a force. It is The river of Banias rises to the north-not, however, to be supposed, that the east of the village, on approaching 318 men of Abraham's own household which it passes under a good bridge, made the whole of his force. Eshcol near which there are some remains of and Aner were with him, v. 24, and in the ancient town. No walls remain, their march through the country up to but great quantities of stone and archi- Dan, where they first came up with tertural fragments are strewed around. Chedorlaomer, they probably gathered About three miles east by south from additional numbers. Still the common the village are the remains of a strong interpretation of the word pn may be and extensive fortress, called the 'Cas- admitted, and on this presumption the tle of Banias.' situated on the summit Editor of the Pictorial Bible remarks, of a mountain; and to the south of the He probably divided his forces, so

tioned proleptically; for we find it noticed in ch. 15. 2, as the birth-place of Abraham's steward Eliezer; and it must therefore have been one of the earliest cities in the world, and is one of the very few that have maintained a flourishing existence in all ages. It is situated in east long. 36° 25′, and north lat. 33° 27′, in the northwest of an extensive and remarkably level plain, which is open eastward beyond the reach of vision, but is bounded in every other direction by mountains, the nearest of which-those of Salehie, to the north west--are not quite two miles from the city. These hills give rise to the river Barrady, and to various rivulets, which afford the city a most liberal supply of water, and render its district one of the most pleasant and fertile of Western Asia (see Note on 2 Kings, 5. 12). The district, within a

that a simultaneous rush was made upon the camp of the enemy from different quarters. Here again the usa es of Arabian warfare assist us. Surprise, by sudden attacks, is their favourite mode of warfare. Some tribes consider it cowardly and disgraceful to make a night attack on a camp. But this is not the general feeling. When such an attac is resolved upon, the assailants so ar nge their march that they may fall upon the camp about an hour before the first dawn, when they are tolerably certain to find the whole camp asleep. With some tribes it is then the custom to rush upon the tents, and knock down the principal tent-poles, thus enveloping the sleepers in their tent-cloths, which renders the victory easy even over superior forces. What greatly facilitates the success of such attacks is the general neglect of post- | ing night-watches and sentinels, even circumference of from twenty to twenwhen in the vicinity of an enemy. If an immediate attack is apprehended, all the males of an encampment, or all the soldiers of an expedition, remain watching their fires throughout the night. In the present transaction, we do not read of any men killed on either side. Probably none were. It is as tonishing how little blood is shed by the Arabs in their most desperate ac-ing hills; but on approaching over the tions, which more resemble frays among an unorganized rabble than a battle between soldiers. We may hear of a battle lasting a whole day without a man being killed on either side. Burckhardt says: 'When fifteen or sixteen men are killed in a skirmish, the circumstance is remembered as an event great importance for many years by both parties.' Pict. Bible.- - On the left hand of Damascus. Chal. 'On the north of Damascus ;' probably a correct interpretation, as the Scriptures suppose the face to be diected to the east, where right and left are mention-sun-dried brick, strengthened with towed, if no other point of the compass be specified. 'The city is not here men

ty-five miles, is thickly covered with well-watered gardens and orchards, in the midst of which stands the town i.self. It thus appears as in a vast wood, and its almost innumerable public buildings, including an extensive citadel and a vast number of mosques, with their domes and minarets, give it a fine appearance as viewed from the neighbour

It was

level plain, the plantations by which it
is environed shroud i entirely from
view. Its finest building is a grand
mosque, of the Corinthian order, said
to have been built as a cathedral church
by the Emperor Heraclius.
dedicated to St. John of Damascus,
and is still called the mosque of St.
John the Baptist by the Turks, who
believe that in the latter days Jesus
shall descend thereon, and from its
summit require the adhesion of all his
followers to the Moslem faith. The
city is surrounded by an old wall of

ers; but this wall has fallen to decay, and the town has so greatly extended