What is the original word for 'sun,' and what does it imply?

Ans. Shemesh,' signifying minister or servant, from its ministering light and heat to the earth, with its inhabitants and productions. The name also was well adapted to guard the sun, as perhaps it was intended, from ever becoming an object of religious worship.

Of what are the stars a symbol in the prophetic writings? Rev. 1. 20; Dan. 12. 3. As the fixed stars denote faithful ministers and servants of God, so falling, smitten, or wandering stars, denote apostate ministers of righteousness. See Jude, v. 13; Dan. 8. 10; Rev. 8. 10-12, and 12. 3.

What are the general uses which the heavenly bodies are designed to answer? v. 14. To divide the day,' Heb. To separate between the day and between the night.'-Lights,' Heb. lighteners,' i. e. instruments of illumination, lightbearers, light-dispensers. In the Gr. it is rendered 'Phosteres,' from Phoster,' an instrument of light, a term occurring also twice in the N. T. Phil. 2. 15, Among whom ye shine as lights in the world, (Gr. Phosteres;') i. e. as enlighteners. Again in the description of the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, Rev. 21. 11, And her light (Gr. Phoster;' i. e. her luminary, or cause of light) was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.' And for days and years,' i. e. 'for days even years;' tacitly implying that a day is often to be taken for a year, otherwise the omission of for' before years' is inexplicable.

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In what manner do they serve for 'signs' and for 'seasons?'

They answer for signs' in the manner mentioned Luke 21. 25; Acts 2. 19, and throughout the book of Revelation; for seasons,' i. e. not only the seasons

of the year, but for the appointed fasts, feasts, and other solemnities of a religious nature, as is intimated, 1 Chron. 23. 31; Is. 66. 23.

How is the use of these luminaries expressed in v. 15, 16?

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Heb. For the rule of the day.' From the expression 'rule the day, some have inferred that the emblematic import of the sun' in prophecy was that of a ruling power, in which sense it is sometimes to be applied to Christ as head over all things to the church, and sometimes to civil rulers, kings, emperors, or princes. In other cases thesun' in the prophetical style appears to be a symbol of the Scriptures.-' Set them.' Heb. gave them.' The word 'give' in Heb. is often used as synonymous with set,' 'put,' 'appoint constitute.' Thus Gen. 9. 13, 'I do set my bow in the cloud.' Heb. 'I do give my bow in the cloud;' i. e. I appoint, constitute my bow as a sign of the covenant, Is. 42. 1. I have put my Spirit upon him.' Heb. 'I have given my Spirit.' 1. Chron. 17. 22, For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever.' Heb. Thou hast given (i. e. appointed, constituted) thy people Israel for thyself for a people for ever;' thus rendered in the parallel passage, 2 Sam. 7. 24. For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever.' Other examples of the peculiar usage of this word will afterward be given.

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What was the work of the fifth day? v. 20, 21.

'Moving creature;' or creeping creature, meaning the smaller water animals.- Life;' i. e. soul, or animated breath. In allusion to this phraseology it is said, Rev. 8. 9, And the third part of the creatures (creations) which were in the sea, and had life (Gr. had souls') died.'

How is the apparent discrepancy between. ch. 1. 20, and 2. 19, reconciled?

The true rendering of v. 20 is supposed to be-' And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and let the fowl fly above the earth, in the open firmament of heaven.' The object of the passage is to specify the respective elements assigned as the habitation of the fishes and the fowls; the design of ch. 2, 19 is to make known to us from whence the beasts and birds originated.In the open firmament.' Heb. On the face,' &c, i. e. towards.

What is said of the execution of the command expressed in v. 20? v. 21.

The word Tannin, rendered whales,' is used also to denote any animal of huge dimensions, whether aquatic or terrestrial, as dragons, serpents, crocodiles, and sea monsters generally. In the following passages it is rendered dragons,' and denotes terrific monsters of the serpent species inhabiting dreary deserts; Job 30. 29; Is. 13. 22; Mal. 1. 3. In the following it denotes some species of the tenants of the deep; Job 7. 12; Ezek. 32. 2; Ps. 148. 7. In Ex. 7. 9, 10, it is translated serpent,' implying probably either a crocodile, of which Egypt produced vast numbers, or that kind of serpent which is usually understood by dragon.' At any rate, it was a serpent of large dimensions into which Moses' rod was converted.

Of what are these sea monsters symbolical? Ps. 74. 13; Ezek. 29. 3.

• Waters in the seas.' 'Seas' here has the meaning of gulf' or 'cavity,' forming the reservoir of the oceanic waters.

How was the Divine favor expressed towards these new-formed creatures? v. 22. Blessing' in this place is to be understood in the sense of vast multiplication, or countless increase.

What was the first creative command on the sixth day, and the consequent work? v. 24, 25.

'Living creature,' Heb. 'living soul,' col. sing. for 'living souls.'- Beast' in Heb. is derived from a word signifying life' or 'living,' and is the term usually applied to wild beasts' in contradistinction from the tame, which are more generally called 'cattle.' Though it is probable that none of the animal tribes at the creation, or before the fall, were wild in the sense of fierce and ravenous, yet the different species undoubtedly possessed different habits, some being naturally more vivacious, active, and vigorous than others.

Of what are 'beasts' representatives in prophecy? See Dan. 7. 17, 23; Rev. 13. 1, 11. The original of 'beasts,' Rev. 4. 6, should unquestionably have been translated living creatures,' to distinguish them, as the original terms are different, from the wild ferocious' beasts' that rose out of the sea and the earth, which are described in a subsequent chapter, Rev. 13. The former are the same as the 'living creatures' and 'cherubims' of Ezekiel's vision, and are plainly representatives of some portion or other of the redeemed church. Compare Rev. 4. 7, with Ezek. 1. 5, 10, and 10. 15, 20.

How is the counsel of God, as to the creation of man, expressed? v. 26.

Man;' here used in the sing. number, but having a plural signification, as is evident from the ensuing verb, Let them have dominion.'

What is implied in the use of the plural number, 'Let us make man?'

Do the Scriptures elsewhere exhibit a phraseology similar to this?

Job 35. 10,But none saith where is God my maker.' (Heb. makers.') Ps. 149. 2, 'Let Israel rejoice in him that made him,' (Heb. ' in his makers.') Eccl. 12. 1, Remember now thy Creator (Heb. Creators') in the

days of thy youth.' See also Gen. 2. 22; ch. 11. 7; Is. 6. 8.

What is the original word for 'man,' and what its import?

Ans. Adam; which is not strictly a proper name, but an appellative. The Heb. term comes, it is supposed, from Adâmâh,' ground, earth, reddish mould; whence the Apostle says, 1 Cor. 15. 47, The first man is of the earth, earthy."

After what image and likeness was he created, and in what did this image consist? v. 26, 27; Col. 3. 10; Eph. 4. 24.

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The image of God' consists mainly in dominion or authority. This is evinced by the drift of the ensuing clause, which is to be regarded as exegetical of the word 'image;' let them have dominion.' So the Apostle, 1 Cor. 11. 7, denominates the man, the image and glory of God,' especially on the ground of his being the head of the woman,' or possessing preeminence over her. The phrase rightly interpreted implies that man was appointed by the Creator to stand towards inferior animals in a light somewhat similar to that in which He himself stands towards men; and hence that, upon earth, man represents or bears the image of God, nearly in the same sense in which the governor of a province is said to represent or bear the image of his sovereign.

How is the creation of man described? 27.

V.

Man' in this passage is evidently a collective term, implying both the man and the woman. The term is afterward repeatedly used as an appellation of the human race in general. The allusion to the woman in this verse is proleptical, as nothing had yet been said of her formation, which is detailed with all its particulars in the ensuing chapter.

What benediction did God pronounce upon