imply e. forger number of slain. The orna- high priest there, and therefore he would ments, 11s in vcr. 21, the collars. 'l'he word have the ephod at his own city of Uphrah, so rendered seems rather to mean drops or just as Jephthah made Mizpeh his relioious pendants. When worn by women (Js11.. iii. centre (eh. xi. II). Whether he sent for 19, chains, A. V.) they were often of single the high priest to come to Ophrah, or p_e11rls. 'l'he purple raiment, the famous whether he made use of the ministry of 'l'yrian purple, m11de from the juice of a shell- some other priest, we have no means of fish which is found in the Mediterranean, deciding. The people, however, always which was the distinctive colour of royal prone to idolatry, made an idol of the ephod, and imperial re.iment. Chains. Perhaps the and Gideon, either because it was a source of ornaments mentioned in ver. 21 as on the gain or of dignity to his house, or thinking ce.mels' necks were suspended to these che.ins. it was a means of keeping the people from In Cant. iv. 9 the chain is mentioned as Baal-w.,rship (ver. 33), seems to have con- an ornament of a woman's neck; in Prov. nived at it. This seems to be the explana- i. 9 of a man's neck. Many interpreters tion best supported by the little we know of understand these last-mentioned e.rticles as the circumstances of the case. A snare, i. e. not being part of Gideon's spoil, but being as in eh. ii. 3, that which leads a person to the people's portion. But it seems much eventual destrnction. See Exod. x. 7, where more probable that the spoil of the kings Pharaoh's servants say of Moses, I-low long should be Gideon's portion, as indeed ver. 21 shall this man be a snare unto 1tS? See also implies. It is best, therefore, to take all Exod. xxiii. 33 ; xxxiv. 12; Deut. vii. 16; 1 these articles e.s being the property of the Sam. xviii. 21, &c. Observe in this vers~ how kings, and to understand the writer to tell the narrative runs on far beyond the present us that Gideon had the rings, which were the time, to return again at ver. 28 (see note to people's spoil, in addition to all the spoil eh. ii. 1-6; vii. 25; viii. 4). which naturally fell to his own share. Ver. 28.-Lifted up their heads no more. Ver. 27.-Gideon made an ephod thereof. Thus showing the wisdom of Gideon's per- There is great difference of opinion among severe.nee in pushing on his victory to corn. commentators as to the significance of this pleteness (see Homiletics on eh. viii. 4-12). statement. The ephod (Exod. xxviii. 4, 6- The nan-ative goes back to ver. 26, or per- 30) was that part of the high priest's dress haps rather to ver. 21. (1 Sam. xiv. 3 ; xxi. 9) which covered the Vera. 30-32.-Gideon had threescore and breast in front, and the upper po.rt of the ten sons, &c. This notice helps us to fill back behind, the two parts bemg clasped up the picture of Gideon's state after the together by two large onyx stones, one on Midianitish victory. He had indeed nobly each shoulder, and kept together by the refused the kingdom, as a Pericles would carious girdle, just above which was fastened have refused to be tyrant of Athens. But he the breastplate of judgment. In a modified did not return to poverty and obscurity, as form the •: linen ephod" was worn by all L. Q. Cincinnatus, in the Roman legend, priests ; but it was especially worn by the returned to his plough after his victory owr high priest when he inquired of God by the Volscians. He was judge over Israel for Urim and Thummim (1 Sam. xxiii. 9; xxx. 7). forty years, with a household and a harem Hence it was also connected with idolatrous like a great prince, living in his paternal worship, as we see by eh. xvii. 5, and Hosea city, with the ephod set up there, himself iii. 4, being probably used for purposes of the centre round which the powers of Church divination, as we know that idolatrous kings and State gathered ; directing the affairs of of Ismel, instead of inquiring of the Lord, his country, both civil and ecclesiastic:11, inquired of the false gods (2 Kings i. 2, 3). with eminent success, so that the country What, then, was Gideon's purpose in making was o.t peace for forty years (a peace as long this costly cphod I We m11y infer from his as that which followed the battle of Wo.ter- proved piety that at all events his intention loo), and the detestable Baal-worship wns was to do honour to the Lord, who had given effectuo.lly suppressed. And haring lived in him the victory. Then, as he was now at wealth and honour, he dieJ in peace, and the head of the State, though he had de- was buried in the sepulchre of his father at clined the regal office, and as it was the Ophrah in a good old age. He remains to special prerogative of the head of the State us o.s one of the most remarkable characters to "inquire of the Lord" (Numb. xxvii. 21; of the Old Testament, not indefd "ithout 1 Sam. xxii.13; xxiii. 2,4, &c.; xxviii. 6, &c.), faults and blemishes, and not wholly un- he may hove thought it his right, as well as a spoiled by prosperity, but still o. great man, matter of great importance to the people, that and an eminent servant of God. he should have the means ready o.t hand of Ver. 31.-Whose name he called. This is inquiring of God. His relations with the badly translated ; it should be, he gave him f{reut tribe of Ephraim Iliay have made it the name of Abimelech-literally, he •~t his u1con venient to go to Shiloh to consult the name ..il.bi1nelech. Thon: are two phrases in 92 THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [en. VIII. 22-Blt
Hebrew. The one, he ca,lkd his 'flame Seth, perhaps one of the causes which induced him Noah, IshmRel, Isaac, Esau, Jacoh, &c., as to seize the kingdom. A third phrase is the r.a.se mRy be. And this is the phrase found in 2 Kings xxiii. 34; xxiv. 17; 2 always, though not ex?lusively (see, e. g., Chron. xxxvi. 4 : lie turned hi,s '1Ut1ne to Gen. xxxv. 10; eh. VI. 32), used of the Jelwial.,-im; changed hi,s nmne to Zedekiah. name given to a child at its birth or circum- The Hebrew is the same in all these p11ssages. cision. The other is, he gave or seJ; him flie Ver. 33.-And it oame to pase, &c. Cf. ruxme, or, he gave or set his name so-and-so, eh. ii. 11, 12, 19 ; iii. 7 ; iv. 1 ; v. 1 ; x. 6; and this phrase is only used of additional xiii. 1. Baal-berith. See eh. ii. 13, note. names, or surnames given later in life. The He was like the Zwc "Op1<1oc of the Greeb, examples are eh. xiii. 31 ; 2 Kings xvii. 34 ; the god of covenants. N eh. ix, 7 ; Dan. i. 7 ; v. 12. The infer- Ver. 35.-Neither showed they kindness, ence is that the name of Abimekch, which &c. Forgetfulness of God is often the parent means father of a king, and was the name of ingratitude to men. The heart of stone of the royal family of Gera.r, was given to which is not touched by the love of Christ is Abimelech os a significant surname, and was also insensible to the kindness of man.