the encmies of God are amazed and con- and most probably did take place, as soon e.a found0d at the greot things God has done. Shechem was in the hands of Israel. In 11 The successes. so clearh· due to the inter- pa.reel of ground Rather, in the 1>0,-tion oj position of R Higher Po;•er, haYe a sobering the .field (see Gen. xxxiii. 19). Our word rather the.n Rn intoxicating effect, and the parcel is derived from particula, and was influence of the gram, wise, earnest men at originally identical with the word particle the hencl of the movement is great with a little part. So Chaucer speaks of pa1·ce1'. their enthusi1tstic followers. But with the mele, i.e., by parts. Shakespere hne n remornl of these leaders in Israel a reaction ". parcel-gilt goblet," that is, a. goblet partly sets in. The lerrnur of the movement de- g,.lt. It has now come to ba.ve a. widely clines, the era of slackness and compromise diffeNnt meaning. Pieces of sliver. There succeeds, 1tnd a generation arises which oan be little doubt that this :s the true " knows not the Lord, nor yet the works translation. The cognate word in Arabic which He had done for Israel." In our signifying "justiCt'," is apparently derived times such reaetions, living as we do in the from the idea of even sea.Jes. A kindred full blaze of gospel light, are far more Hebrew word signifies " truth," probobly transient and less fatal than in the days of from the same original idea. Another Ismel. But in our measure we continue to kindred Arabic word signifies a. balanoe. nperience the working of the,t law by which It therefore, no doubt, mee.ns a. coin of a. intense energy is apt to be followed by certain weight, just a.s the word shekel bas •oldness, and every earnest movement for the original signification of weight. The ood needs a continual rekindling at the Rabbinical notion, that the word signified altar of God of the fire which first set it " Jambs," rests upon no solid foundation, a.t work. That overllved Joshua. Lite- though supported by all the ancient versions. rally. that lengthened out their days after Some commenta.tora, however, think that Joshua. a. coin is meant upon which the figure of Ver. 32.-Alld the bones of Joseph (see a lamb was impressed. So Va.tablue and Gen. 1. 24, 25; Exod. xiii 19). Nothing Drnsius. The LXX. has aµvaowv, the could more fully show the reverence in Vulgate "centum novellis ovibus." which the name of Joseph was held in Ver. 33. - A hill that perta.llled to Israel than this scrupulous fnlfilment of hie Ph1neha.s, h1s son. The LXX., Syrie.c, and commands, and the careful record of it in Vulgate translate this as a proper name, the authentic records of the country. This Gibeath or Gabaa.th Phineas. But it may pa&sage is another link in the cha.in of also mean Phinehae' hill. A city may or evidence which serves to establish the ma.y not have been built there. Keil and authenticity and early date of the present Delitzsch believe it to be the Levitica.l town, book. For though Joscph's name was Geha of Benjamin ; but of this we cannot always a striking one in Israelitish history, be sure. The tomb of Eleazar is still shown it is unquestionable that as time went on near Shechem, " overshadowed by venerable his fame was overshadowed by that of his terebi.nths," as Dean Stanley tells us. And ancestors. Itis Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so the history ends with the death and on whom the national mind was fixed. It .burial of the conqueror of Palestine, is their names that the prophets reeall, the the lieutenant of Moses, the faithful and covenant with them which is constantly humble servant of God, and of the sue• brought to mind. But dnringthe Israelites' cessor of Aaron, who ha.d been solemnly sojourn in Egypt, e.nd while the departure invested with the garments of his father from Egypt was yet recent, the conspicuous before that father's death. A fitting ter· position which Joseph occupied in Egyptie.n mination to so strange and marvellous a historr could not fail to be remembered, and history. With the death of two such men the co"mmand he gave concerning hie bones, a new era had begun for the chosen people ; a.s well as his comiction that the prophecy a darker page had now to be opened. The concerning their departure would be ful- LXX. adds to this passage, " In that day filled, was not likely to be forgotten. The the children of Israel took the ark and emphatic way in which the fulfilment of carried it about among them, and 1'hinehas Joseph· s charge is here recorded affords a acted as priest, instead of Eleazar bis presumption for the early date of the book, father, until he died, and was buried in his as well as against the theory that it was a own property at Gabaa.th. And the children late compilation from early records. We of Israel went each one to his place and to are not necessarily to suppose that the his own city. And the children of Israel interment of J oseph's remains took place at worshipped Aste.rte and Ashtaroth, the gods this period. The Hebrew, as we have seen, of the nations around them. .And the Lord ~• no pluperfect tense (see for this Judg. delivered them into the hand of Eglon 11. 10), and therefore it may have taken place, king of the Moe.bites, and he had dominion OR, JI.XIV, 29-88.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. ;i71
ovor them eighteen ye1ue." The paeeage ie an obviouR compilation from the Book ol l Hebrew, and the mention of Aetarte and Aehtaroth ae different deities ie sufficient Judgee, It has no counterpart in the to discredit it.