sword of tlrn Spirit sho.11 reduce the utmost place Jerome has corvm. The pelice.n is south to the dominion of Christ (see Isa. found in the Assyrian monuments under xiv. H: I's. lxviii. 81). The commence- more than one appellation (see 'Transact. ment of this conversion is seen in the of Soc. of Bibi. Archreol.,' viii. 93, etc., and oho.mlierlain of Qaoen Cando.ce (Acts viii. 141 ). The bittern (kippod). Mo~t recent 27, eLo.). critics translate this by " hedgehog" or Ver. 13.-The north, represented by "porcupine." The Septuagint bas, exivo,: AsByriu, ns yet unconquered, ancl still ap- the Vulgate, ericiu8. But neither hedgehog pnrently Jiourishing. 'fhough this country n.,r porcupine utters cries or frequents Jay to the north-east of Palestine, its armies pools of water, anrl it may well be don bterl attacked from the north, ancl it is generally whether somo marsh-loving bird is not represented as a northern power. Its de- meant. Certainly the following clause suits struction was foretold (Isa. x. 12; Ezek. tbe ha.bits of a bird better than those of a xxxi. 11, etc.: Nah. i. 14, etc.). In this hedgehog (see • Bible Edncator,' iii. 312, ,·erse the Hebrew verbs a.re not in the where Dr. 'frietram is quoted saying, "As a simplo future, but in the imperative or matter of fact, the bittern is very abundant optative mood, "Let him stretch out bis in these swamps of the Tigris, and in all the bancl," etc., as though the prophet were marshy gronnde of Syria; and its strange praying that the enemies of bis people booming note, disturbing the stillness of the might be overthrown. Nineveh. St. Jerome night, gives an idea of desolation which gives specio,am, rendering the proper no.me nothing but the wail of the hyena can ncoording to bis notion of its Hebrew equal"). No notice of the bittern seems to etymology. Its proper meaning, in Acca- bo found in the Assyrian monuments, dian, would be" Fish-house," i.e. house con- though the mention of the heron is not secrated to the god of fish. (For a description uncommon. The kaath e.nd kippod are of Nineveh, see note on Jonah i. 2. For common Iy mentioned together, e.g. faa. xuiv. the destruction of Nineveh, see the In- ll. The upper lintels; "the capitals" of troduction to Nahum, § I.) Dry like a the columns (see note on Amoa ix. 1, where wilderness. The country sbo.11 becomo an the so.me word kaphtOT is need). Their voice arid desert. Assyria. was greatly indebted she.11 sing in the windows; literally, the for its remarkable fertility to e. very suc- voice of the songster in the window. Birds cessful system of e.rtificie.l irrige.tion, and shall perch and sing in the apertures of the when this we.a not mninte.ined., great tre.cts ruined palaces. Vulgate, Voz cantanlis in soon reln.psed into e. wilderness (Le.ye.rd, fenestra; the LXX. bas, El11pla. q,o,v-/Jcre, ,v 'Nineveh,' ii. 68). "Cultivation," says -ro"is li<opv-yµa.crw a~Tjjs, " Wild beasts shall Professor Rawlinson, "is now the excep- cry in the breaches thereof." Others trans- tion instead of the rule. • Instead of the late, "Hark I it singetb in the windows." 1uxurinn t fields, the groves e.nd ge.rdens of There e.re no tre.ces of windows in any former times, nothing now meets the eye of the Assyrian pa.laces, even in the but e.n e.rid we.ate' (Cbesny). Le.rge tre.cts case of chambers next the outer walls. Ii are covered by unwholesome marshes, pro- daylight were e.dmitted, it must have ducing nothing but enormous reeds; others entered through openings in the ceilings lie waste and bare, parched up by the fierce (Lo.yard, ' Nineveh,' ii. 260). Desole.tion heat of the sun, e.nd utterly destitute of she.It be in the thresholds. The word we.tar; in some places se.nd-drifte e.coumu- rendered ''desolation" (chorebh) Jerome le.te, e.nd three.ten to make the whole rrgiou notes may be read as meaning "sword," a mere portion of the desert" (' Anc. Mon.,' •• drought," e.nd "re.ven;" he adopts the i. 41). last signification, e.nd transle.tes, in e.gree- Ver. 14.-Flooks; herds. The prophet ment with the LXX., corvus. But it seems describes grapbico.lly the desolation men- best to to.kc the term e.s signifying "desola- tioned in the preceding verse. The ''herds" tion ; " no hume.n creature shall be found e.re not sheep o.nd oe.ttle, as in pe.re.llel ce.ses there, only ruin e.nd rubbish. Ewe.Id (Isa. xvii. 2: xxvii. 10; xxxii. 14), but all T'mders, "Owls sbe.11 sing iu the win- the beasts of the nations-all the wild bee.sts a.,,'"e, crows on the threshold, • shivered, tho.t infest the country. Septuagint, ,ruv-ra. crushed.'" For he shall nnoover (he hath -ra. 611pla. ·djs 'Y1is. The Hebrew will be.rdly laid bare) the cedar work. God, or the bear Keil'e rendering, "e.11 kinds of bee.ate enemy, be.a so destroyed the palaces that in crowds." (Compare similar predictions, the cedo.r panelling is exposed to the Ise.. xiii. 21 ; xxxiv. 11, 14). The cormorant weather. Jerome he.s, "Attenue.bo robnr (kaath); probably the pelican; Vulge.te, ejus. '' We see by Senne.cherib's boast onocrotalus; the Septuagint gives, xa.µ,u- (Isa.. xxxvii. 24) that the Assyria.ns im- >..lov-ru, which word Schleusner thinks to ported cedars for building pnrposes. And have been interchanged with ,crlpa.,c,s that we have monumental evidence of the em- follows soon afterwe.rds. But iu the latter ployment of cedar in palaces at lee.et since 30 THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH, [OH, II, 1-lo,
the time of AssurnazirpsJ, B.o. 860. Ese.r- pe.ssa.ge is founded). I e.m 1 e.nd thore is none haddon reports that he received cypress e.nd beside me. Thus, in effect, Nineveh cle.imed oede.r from Lebanon e.s tribute ; e.nd Assur- for herself the attributes of Almiglity God. be.nipnl states that in erecting his pe.le.ce he She ste.nds alone, mistress of nations, o. tyP.e nsed eede.r pillars from Siijon and Lebo.non of the powers of this world, which dmfy (Schrader,' Die Keilinschrift. uod Alt. Test.,' themselves and defy the Lonl. Septm,gint, pp. 183,453). Ncriglisse.r, King of Babylon, 0/11, f<Tn µ,er' tµ,~ fr,, "Tilere is no more e.ny B.O. 559, in rehuild in!!; liis pe.laoe, records after me." Shall hiss. In scorn (Job xxvii. that he "arranged tall cedars for its roof" 23; Jer. xix. S; Mico.h vi. 16). Wag his (' Records of the Past,' v. 142). hand. He shall shake or ~rnve his ho.nil Ver. 15.-This is the rejoioing city. .Suoh with tlie gesture of dismissal, as if s11ying, is the fe.te of this once exulting city, that "Away with tilee 1 get thee gone I "--i\ dwelt carelessly, secure, with no fear of rehearsal of the awful " Depart ye ! " in the danger at hand (Isa.. xlvii. S, on whioh this final judgment (comp. Nah. iii. 19).