The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 116

theocratic kingdom; but if we look for the natural causes, we shall ~nd one _in tl,~ narrowness of ancient civilisation when the absence of means of socrnl and hternry comr ,unication fostered mutual ig~orance, and made sympathy almost impossible; and anc;ther in the national local nature of the religion of Israel, with its central sanctnary, and its whole system grounded in tl~e past history of the na_tion, thus present_i,ng great obstacles to a foreigner who wished to become a worshipper of Jehonih. -· Dr. Broadus].-F. EXPOSITION. old heathen custom, still conl!:antly pmcti.scc! CHAPTER YI. abroacl, of presenting to the deity tokens RESTORATION OF THE ARK TO nrn Is- representing the deliverance wrought for nAEr.lTES (vers. 1-12). Vers. 1, 2.-Tbe ark such as had implored his aid. Thus Horace of Jehovah we.a in the country- literally, (' Carm.,' i. 5) speaks of the custom or hang- the field, i. e. the territory-of the Philis- ing up in the temple of Neptune the clothes tines seven months, during which long time in which a man ha,1 escaped from shipwreck. the people wherever the ark was deposited Slaves when manumitted offered their chains wer~ afflicted in their persons with a most to the Lal'Cs; and tbe i<lca is so natural tbat painful malady. The princes determined, we cannot wonder at its prevalence. One tnerefore, to restore it to Israel, and convened plague was on you all. Rather, "is on yon the priests and the diviners, that they all." It did not cease until the ark had might advise them as to the manner in been 1·estored. The Hebrew has on them which this purpose should be best carried all; but as all the ,ersions ,ind several 11188. out, lest some error or want of due rever- read yo1i all, the substitution of them is ence might only serve to increase their probably the mistake of some transcriber. sufferings. It would be the duty of the Ver. 5.-Mice that mar the land. The priests to see that the proper· ceremonial was idea of a plague of field-mice is, as we have observed in- moving. the e.rk, while the seen, due to one of those many unauthorised diviners would decide what day ancl hour insertions of the Septuagint by which they and special. method would be lucky. The supposed that they removed cli.fficulties from importance· of the diviner, qosem, is shown the way of their readers. As the ancients by his being mentioned in Isa. iii. 2 in an use the names of animals in a very generic enumeration of the leading orders in the way, any rodent may be meant from the state. He is placetl there between the pro- jerboa downwards; but probably it was the phet and the elder oi· senator ; but the A. V., common field-mouse, ar-vicola arvensis, still displeased perhaps at finding one who prac- common in Syria, which multiplies with tised a forbidden art nevertheless described great rapidity, and is very destrnctive to the as practically so valued, translates the word crops, and so became the symbol of devasta- pi·udent. Literally it means a divider or tion and pestilence (see on eh. v. 6). When, partitione1·, because it was his office to as Herodotus relates (Book ii. 141), the As- separate things into the two classes of lucky syrian army of Sennacherib had been defeated, and unlucky. Tell us wherewith, &c. because a vast multitude of field-mice had Though this translation is tenable, the right overrun his camp and gnn.wed asunder the rendering is probably how. The princes did bow- strings of his troops, the Egyptians not assume that gifts roust accompany the raisetl a statue to Hephrestus, holding in his ark, but inquired generally as to the best hand a mouse. But very probably this is method of restoring it. So the answer of but the literal explanation by Herodotus of the priests and diviners is not merely that what he saw, while to e. well-instructed expiatory offerings are to be made, but that Egyptian it represented their god of heal- the ark is to be sent back in such a way as ing, holding in his· hand the mouse, as the to give proof that Jehovah had intervened, symbol either of the devastation which he or the contrary (vers. 7, 8, 9). . had averted, or of the pestilence with which Vers. 3, 4.-A trespe.sa offering. The offer- he had smitten the Assyrian army (see on mg that was to be made when the offence had eh. v. 6). been unintentional (Levit. v. 15). Why his Ver. 6.-Wherefore do you harden your band is not removed from you. A euphemism hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh1 On for "why· your punishment continues to be this reference to Egypt see on eh. iv. 8. It so severe, ,vithout sign or abatement." If is remarkable that they so correctly point healing follows the gift, you will know that out that it was the obduracy of the Egyptians the malady was Jehovah's doing. The tres- which made their punishment so severe. pass offering was to consist or five golden Yet finally even they, in spite of their de- omerods, and five golden mice, it being an termined opposition wern com1,elle,l to let  112 THE FIUST BOOK OF SA:\I UEL. [en. v1. 1-21.