Bengel was the first Lutheran divine who applied to the criticism of the New Testament a grasp of mind which embraced the subject in its whole ex- tent, and a patience of investigation which the study required. While a student, he was much perplexed by the various readings, which led him to form the determination of making a text for himself, which lie executed in a very careful and scrupulous manner, ac- cording to very rational and critical rules, excepting that he would not admit any reading into the text which had not been previous]}^ j rinted in some edition. In the book of Revelation alone he deviated from this rule. His conscientious piety tended greatly to allay the fears which had been excited among the clergy with respect to various readings, and to him belongs the honor of having struck out that path which lias since been followed 1 y Wetstein,Griesbach, and others. His Gnomon N. T. was so highly valued by John Wes- ley that he translated most of its notes and incorporated them into his Explanatory Notes en the N. T. The least valuable part of Bengel'sexegetical labors is that which he spent on the Apocalypse. His chief works are : 1. Apparatus Criticus ad X. T. ed. secunda, cur. P. D. Burkii (Tubing. 17G3, 4to) :— 2. Gnomon Novi Testa- m, ri/i. 3d ed. adjuv. Steudel (Tubing. 1850, 2 vols. 8vo): —3. An Explication of the Book of the Revelation of St. John (Stuttg. 1710, 1746, 8vo); translated by Robert- son (Lond. 1757, 8vo) :— 4. Harmony of the Gospels (Tubing. 173G, 1747, 1766, 8vo): — 5. Ordo temporum a principio per periodos asconomite diviner, etc. (Stuttg. 1753) : — 0. Cyclus sive de anno magno soils, ad incremen- tum doctrines prophetica (Ulm, 1745, Svo). His chro-
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nological works, endeavoring to fix the "number of the beast," the date of the "millennium" (he was posi- tive in fixing the beginning of the millennium at the peat 1836), etc., have rather detracted from his repu- tation for solidity of judgment. His fame will perma- nently rest on his Gnomon, which, as a brief and sug- gestive commentary on the New Testament, remains unrivalled. New editions, both in Latin (Berlin, I860; Tubingen, 1860; Stuttgard, I860) and German, have recently appeared, and an English translation was published in Clark's Library (Edinburgh, 1857-58, 5 vols. 8vo), of which a greatly improved and enlarged edition lias been issued in this country by Professors Lewis and Vincent (Philadelphia, 1800-G1, 2 vols. 8vo). lli> Ufi and Letters, by Burk, translated by Walker, appeared in Ls37 (London, 8vo) ; and a brief biogra- phy, by Fausset, is given in the 5th volume of the English translation of the Gnomon. An able article on his peculiar Sgn[ficancg as a Theologian was pub- lished in the J ah rb rich* r fur devtsche Theologie, 1861, and translated in the British and Foreign Evangelical Review, April, 1862. A new L[fe has just appeared (1865) under the title J. A . Bengel Lebensabriss, Char- acter, etc., von Dr.O."Wiichter(Stuttgardt, 8vo), which gives a large amount of new material, found in Ben- gel's MS. diary and other papers, which have only re- cently been given up by his family for publication. Among other curious facts, it appears that Bengel had the use of but one eye during his life-long studies, and that he sedulously concealed this privation even from his wife ! In a supplement to the volume are given a number of Bengel's sermons, addresses, and poems. Dr. Wachter also published a volume containing " Re- marks on Bengel as an exegetical writer, and in par- ticular on the Gnomon" (Beitrage zu J. A. BenjeVs SchrifterUarring, etc., Leipzic, 1865). See Hagenbaei', German Rationalism, 12G ; Herzog, Real-Encyklop'klic , ii, 57.
Ben'-hadad (Heb. Ben-Hadad', bTltl"*?. *ow °f Eadad; Sept. vibq "Adtp), the name of three kings of Damascene-Syria. As to the latter part of this name, Hadad, there is little doubt that it is the name of the Syrian god Hadad (q. v.). probably the Sun (Macrob. Saturnalia, i, 23), still worshipped at Damascus in the time of Josephus (Ant. ix, 4, 6), and from it several Syrian names are derived, as Hadadezer, i. e. Hadad has helped. The expression son of Hadad, which de- notes dependence and obedience, not only accords with the analogies of other heathen names, but is also sup- ported by the existence of such terms as "sons of God" among the Hebrews (comp. Psa. lxxxii, 6). On ac- count of the nationality of this name, the term "palaces of Ben-hadad" came to be equivalent to Damascus it- self (Jer. xlix, 27 ; Amos i, 4). See Damascus.
1. The king of Syria, who was subsidized by Asa, king of Judah, to invade Israel, and thereby compel Baasha (who had invaded Judah) to return to defend bis own kingdom (1 Kin^s xv, 18). B.C. 928. See -\-\. This Ben-hadad has, with some reason, been Bupposedtobe Hadad the Edomite who rebelled against Solomon il Kings xi, 25). Damascus, after having been taken by David (2 Sam. viii, 5, 6), was delivered from subjection to his successor by Rezon (1 Kings xi, 21 i, wlio '• was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon." This Ben-hadad Mas either son or grand- son to Etezon, and in his time Damascus was supreme in Syria, the various smaller kingdoms which sur- rounded it being gradually absorbed into its territory. Ben-hadad musi have been an energetic and powerful sovereign, as his alliance was courted by Baasha of Israel and A -a of Judah. He finally closed with the latter on receiving a large amount" of treasure, and conquered a great part or the north of [srael, thereby enabling Asa to pursue his victorious operations in the BOUth. From 1 Kings X\, 34, it would appear that he continued to make war upon Israel in Omri's time,