'Egypt anil l\tlestine,' eh. xix., and note early times, a town of sufficient importance on eh. x. 40). The time lrns not yet come to be noticed in a list like this, and that its for the Jews, now asserting their ancient omission in the Hebrew text is due to the greatness in statesmanship, literature, and mistake of some transcriber. ut in every conn,try in the ch-ilised wodd, Ver. 61.-The wilderness. .,~.,~-. This to return to their own land. Not till then, it is to be feared. will the prophecy in Isaiah was the eastern part of the tenitory of Judah, xxxv. be fulfilled, and " the desert rejoice, bordering on the Dead Sea. Here David and the "ilderness blossom as the rose, to~~ refuge from the pursuit of Saul (Paa. while waters break out in the wilderness lxm. 1), and here St. John the Baptist pre- and streams in the desert, the parched pared the way of Christ. It is described ground becoming a pool, and the thirsty by Tristram (' Land of Israel,' p. 197) as "a land springs of water." wilderness, but no desert." Herbage is to Ver. 51.-Glloh. Perhaps the city of be found there, but no trees, no signs of Ahithophel. the cultivation formerly bestowed upon the Ver. 55.-Maon, Ca.rmel,a.nd Ziph. These, hill country (see above, ver. 48). And the as Dean Stanley reminds us (' Sinai and fewness of the cities in early times is a proof Palestine,' p. 101), still retain unaltered that its character has not been altered by their old names. " That long line of hills time. The hills, says Canon Tristram, are was the beginning of the 'hill country of of a "peculiar desolate tameness," and are Judooa,' and when we began to ascend it intersected by the traces of winter water- the first answer to our inquiries after the courses, seaming the sides of the monotonous route told us that it was' Carmel,' on which round-topped hills. Other writers describe Nabal fed his flocks, and close below its long this country in less favourable terms, deny- ra,;ges was the hill and ruins of Ziph," ing it even the scanty herbage found there close above the hill of Maon. Wilson by Canon Tristram. also (' Lands of the Bible,' i. 380) makes Ver. 62.-The city of Salt. Probably near the same remark. Maon is to be remem- the valley of Salt (2 Sam. viii. 13 ; 2 Kings bered as David's hiding - place from the xiv. 7; 1 Chron. xviii 12), which must enmity of Saul (1 Sam. xxii.i. 24-26), have been near the border of Edam, and and as the home of Nabal (1 Sam. xxv. 2). in close proximity to the Dead Sea (see note Carmel (not the famous mountain of that on eh. iii. 16). En-gedi. The "fountain name) meets us age.in in the history of Saul of the kid." Here David took refuge from and of Dand (1 Sam. xv. 12; xxv. 2, 5, 7, Saul (1 Sam. xxiv. 1). This place, now Ai:n 40). The neighbourhood of Ziph was also Jidy, is situated in " a plain or slope about one of Da.nd's hiding-places, and is described a mile and a half in extent from north to as a "wilderness" in which there was a south" (Tristram, 'Land of Israel,' p. 281). " wood " in 1 Sam. xxii.i. 15, 19; xxvi. 1, 2. Here the ruins of the ancient city of Hazezon See also the prologue to Psa. liv. Another Tamar, or " the felling of the palm trees" Ziph is mentioned in ver. 24. (Gen. xiv. 7), are to be found, a city perhaps Ver. 60.-Xirjath Baal. Before these " the oldest in the world," may still be seen. words the LXX. insert the names of eleven "The cluster of camphire" (or rather of more cities, among which Tekoa.h and henna, the plant with which Oriental women Bethlehem are included. For the former stained their nails-Cant. i. 14) may still be see 2 Sam. xiv. 2 ; 2 Chron. xi. 6; xx. 20. found there, and its perennial torrent dashes The prophet Amos was one of its herdsmen still into the Dead Sea. In later times (A.mos i. 1). We learn from 1 Maccab. ix. 33, than those of the Old Testament the Essenes &c., that it was near Jordan, and had a planted their head-quarters here. waste district in its vicinity. It has Leen Ver. 63.-As for the Jebusites. This identified with Teku'a, two hours south of passage, compared with Judg. i. 8, 21, and Bethlehem. Of Bethlehem its~lf, the home 2 Sam. v. 6, implieB that the people of Judah of Ruth and David, the birthplace of Jesus took and set on fire the lower city, but were Christ, it is unnecessary to speak. But the compelled to leave thP, stronghold of Zion incidents related concerning Bethlehem in in the hands of the Jebusites (see note on eh. Jndg. xvii., xix. (which seem to indicate x. 1). Origen and Theodoret see in the that the author of the book had special Jebusites the type of the nominal members in!onnatiou about Bethlehem), as well as the of Christ's Church, who are not His disciples narrative of the Book of Ruth, lead us to indeed. The former refers to Matt. xiii. 25. suppose that the verse inserted here by the Unto this day. A clear proof that this LXX. is genuine, since Bethlehem was, in book was written before David became king. en. xv. 1-68.J THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 253
HOMILETICS. Ve1·s. l-63.-The inheritance of Judah. This chapter does not suggest much matter for homiletic treatment. The chief points to be noticed are (1) the fulfilment of the prophecy of the pre-eminence of Judah uttered by Jacob (Gen. xlix. 8-12), due no doubt originally to the pre-eminence of Judah for gentleness and justice above all his brethren except Joseph ; (2) the picture of filial and parental ·affection in the family of Caleb, as evinced by the manner in which Achsah made her request, and the readiness with which, being a reasonable one, it was granted; (3) the valour of Othniel, fitting him for his future eminence as a deliverer and judge of Israel; and (4) the want of faith, noticed more particularly elsewhere, which, while cities of such importance as are here enumerated had been given by God into the hand of Judah, this tribe did not appro:priate to itself the promise, and the Philistine cities became the sorest thorns in thell' aides of all their surrounding enemies. We may add (5) that Caleb's behaviour to Achsah supplies us with an illustration of the text, " If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good tlungs to them that ask Him" (Matt. vii. 11).