Vulgate, qum ln Bo,p11M'o eBt. The name the present case. Here the immediate ocours nowhere 0180 in the Bible, and Its reference is to Zernbbabel and the valiant Identification cannot be established. Jerome Maccabees, who severely punished the Idu- suggests, in hie commentary, that it is the means (2 Mace. x.15, eto.; Joeephus, • Ant.,' Assyrian for "boundary," ond not a proper xiii. 9. I). Bnt all these "savionrs" are name at all. The Pesbito and the rabbins types and forerunners of the Mell!Jiah, "the and modern Jews interpret it as "Spain." Ba.vionr which ie Christ the Lord." Shall Keil supposes it to be "Sparta;" Posey, come up. Not from exile, but simply a.a "Bardis." Jfor this last explanation some ascending a hill, a.nd ta.king their seat ground has been found in an inscription there. Mount Zion. The seat of the of Nakshi-Ruete.m, where a place called kingdom of God, in contra.et with "the 9Parda occui's in a list cf tribes between monnt of Eean,'' the type of the enemies of Oappa.docia and Ionia; and Oparda is con- Israel and of God. To judge; LXX., Tou sidered to be the Persian form of Bardis i1<611<,jcra.,, "to take vengeance on." Bot (sea Schrader, 'Keilinschr.,' p. 445, etc.). A the II jndging" is not only the taking of further confirmation of this identification is vengeance on Edom and that which it repre- found in the complaint of Joel (iii. 6 [iv. 6, sents, the expression inclndes the notion Hebrew]), that the Phcenicians had sold of governing; so that the prophet looks for- Israelites "unto the sons of the Grecians." ward to the time when the heathen shall Professor Sayce, in a note to G. Smith's submit themselves to the dominion of the • History of Babylonia,' p. 156, places people of God, and, a.s the following clanse "Saparda" on the Blaok Sea. It may be foretells, "the kingdoms of this world are questioned, however, whether some town become the kingdoms of onr Lord, and of nearer Judma is not intended. Ewald his Christ" (Rev. xi. 15). The kingdom would read "Bepharam." a town in North ■hall be the Lord's. No earthly a.ccom- Palestine. The two bodies of captives shall pliehmeut conld fulfil this great announce- possess the cities of the south, The Negeb. ment. The kingdom can be Jehovah'e; The cities are named in Josh. xi.x. he can show himself as Rnler of the world, Ver. 21.-§ 2. The prophet sums up hie and be acknowledged as Bllch by the nations, prediction: with the conquest of the Gen- only UDder Christ. This is "the sceptre of tiles salvation shall come u, Zion in all ita Jndah" of which Ja.cob spoke (Gen. xlu. /ulness. Saviours. The LXX. incorrectly 10); this is the throne of David which wa.s takes the word _passively, translating it to be established for ever (2 Sam. vii 16) ; • l.11a.crr,,(&µ.,110,, "they that are saved;" so this is what all the prophets foresaw, what Aquila, Theodotion, and the Byriao ; Bym- we are still expecting, what we daily pray inachus rightly, cr~(o,,.,-u: Vulgate, salfla- for, BS we say, "thy kingdom come"-wben tores. The judges are so called in Jndg. "the Lord shall be King over all the earth, iii 9, 15 (comp. 2 Kings xiii 5; Neh. ix. and there shall be one Lord, and bis name 27). The judges ha.d a twofold character- one" (Zeah. xiv. 9). they were deliverers and governors, as in
HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-71ie servant of Jehovah. The names given by the Hebrews were usually significant. The appellation of this prophet was very commonly used, and is illdicative of the fervid and practical piety of the lsraelitish people. Obadiah means II the Servant or Worshipper of Jehovah." I. THE NAME IS DESCRIPTIVE OP PEBSONAL PIETY. Whilst the ungodly and irreligious are servants of sin, the pious are emphatically the Lord's bondsmen and devotees. 1. Piety involves relation to a living God. The personality of the Deity is assumed in this designation. 2. Piety is practical in its character. The Lord's people offer -service to him whom they profess to revere, consecrating their powers to secure the ends which are approved by him. 3. Piety is voluntary and oheerful in its nature. In a sense all men are under Divine authority. But the giving of a name like this implies a distinction among men, a willing devotion on the part of the piou11 to the holy service of the Supreme. II. THE NAME IS DESCRIPTIVE OF OFFIOIAL RELATION AND ACT1V1TY. It is true the.t there are those who e.re incapacitated for service, who yet are God's in heart. "They also &erve who only stand and wait." Yet, in the case of men possessed of ordinary faculties, and enjoying ordinary opportunities, the felt obligation will express itself in obedience and in zeal and energy. 1. The servant of the Lord receives his 8 THE BOOK OF OBADIAH. [1-21.