The Pulpit Commentary — Joel — Section 27

outw,ml sign without the rca!Hy of the howls such as only an Eastern hierarchy thing signilled. ll'or he iA gra.oiou1 aiul conlcl utteT, IMt~io.d of tbe mass of white meroi!ul, ■low to anger, and of great kind- mantles which they usually preaented, they ness, and repenteth him of the evil. To the we!e wrapt in black goat's-hair sackcloth, exhortation he subjoins the encouraging twisted round them, not with the brilliant manifestation of the Divine character with sashes of the priestly attire, bnt with o. which Go<l, 11ges ):,efore, had favoured Moses, rough girdle of the same texture which substituting for " truth" the trait of cho.- they never unbound night or day.' What racter best suited to the present emergency. they wore of their common dress was rent He is not o.n absolute God or a.n inexorable a.sunder or cast otf. With bare breasts they God, but their covenant God and Father waved their black drapery towards the who invi!:eR them even to himself, age.inst temple, and shrieked a.loud, • Spare thy whom they had so heinously sinned and people, 0 Lord I '" Such is Dean Stanley's whom they had so grievously offended. vivid picture of the circumstances a.nd scene Ver. 14.-Who knoweth if he will retllril described by the prophet in the a.hove verB0B. and repent ; that is, return from and repent A scene exceedingly similar occurs in the of his purpose of executing judgment. And commencement of the 'CEdipus Tymnnns' leave a blessing behind him; that is, leave of Sophocles-- behind him when returning from the exer- ci~e of judgment to resume his seat on the •• Why sit ye, here, my children, younger heavenly throne, the blessing being a. re- brood · pla.cement of the harvest fruits which the Of Cadmus famed of old, in BO!emn state, locusts had consumed, even a meat offering Your hands thus wreathed with the snp- and a. drink offering, for the service of the plia.nt.s' boughs? sanctuary a.s well a.s sustenance to supply And all the city reeks with incense, the people's o'"!n bodily wants. Jerome And a.11 re-echoes with your hymns and explains the question of ver. 14 with much groans; judgment as follows: "Lest perchance they And I, my children, counting ii unmeet might either despair on account of the mag- To hear report from others, I have come nitude of their crimes, or the greatness of Myself, whom a.ll name CEdipDB the Great." the Divine clemency might make them care- Vere. 18-27 form the sequel of this less." . Besides (1) the interrogative render- ing, there is (2) that of the Che.ldee, followed chapter in the Hebrew, but five a.ddiiional by Reshi and Kimchi. The latter says, "He verses ma.ke up the chapter in the Autho- that knows the way of repentance, let him rized Version. These a.re divisible into two repent, and God will repent of this evil" parts. In the first division the prophet .Also in addition to (1), that is, Authorized assures his countrymen of the bestowal of Version, he (i.e. God) "shall leave a bless- ing,". there is (2) that of Bashi and Aben temporal mercies, and in the second of the Ezro, who explain as follows : "Perhaps promise of spiritual blessings. Gorl will repent,. and that army shall leave Ver. 18.-The futures of this verse with a blessing, out of which they may make' a vav clln.!ec. are properly ta.ken as perfect.a; meat offering and a drink offering." nor is there any inconsistency, provided we Vere. 15-17.-''The harsh blast of the understand, as following ver. 17 e.nd preced- consecrated ram's horn called an assembly ing ver. 18, the fact that the priests had en- for an extraordinary fast. Not a soul was gaged in the penitence enjoined, and offered to be absent. Like the fiery cross, it con- the supplication to which they had been vened old 11nd young, men and women, summoned; neither is the omission of any mothers ,vith infants at thoir breasts, the express mention of the circumstance thm bridegroom and the bride on their bridal supposed to intervene between these verses day. All were there stretched in front of any valid objection, especia.lly as the gram- the altar. The altar itself presented the mar favours the view in question. Then drearieat of a.II sights-a hearth without its follows a manifestation of God's mercy in sacred fire, a to.hie spree,d without its sacred a.newer to the a.ssumed peniteoce and prayer fee,st. The priestly caste, instead of go.ther- of his servants. God's jee.lousy and pity ing as usual upon its steps and its plo.tform, are both engaged-his jealousy for his land,. were driven, as it were, to the further space; 11ud his compassion for his people. His they turned their backs to the dead altar, jealousy is figurative, and the allusion is and lay prostrate, gazing towo.rds the In- probably to that of a husband who id jealous visible Presence within the sa1;1ctuo.ry. Iu- on account of any dishonour done to hii:1 stend of the hymns and musie whioh, sinoe wife, and who resents it more keenly than a. the tiwo of Do.vid, had entered into their dishonour offered to himself. The pity is prayers, thcro was nothing heard _but the such as God over manifests to his people poasionate sobs cmd tho loud d1ssonuut when penitent; for" Like as a. father piticih 24 T'IIE BOOK OF JO~t. [on. tr. 1-82.