the Arabs ;* and because Josephus also affirms that Jael gave to Sisera yaha diegogo's on, milk already sour.† It is not however to be denied, as suggested by Gesenius, that sometimes in poetical parallelism is probably not different from , milk. R. Tanchum and D. Kimchi among the Rabbins, as also Michaelis (ad 4: 19) and Schnurrer, suppose that Jael gave him sour milk, and especially camel's milk, as an intoxicating drink, in order to produce a stupifying sleep. But there is no evidence that such is the character of milk in this state; and the evidence of Niebuhr is directly the contrary, who says that camel's milk is esteemed as more cooling than the milk of cows. The Kurds do indeed prepare an inebriating drink from milk, called cumyss; but this is by distillation.§ VERSE 26. is the pin either of iron or wood, by which the cords of the tent are fastened to the ground. The form , as it stands, is the 3 fem. plural, instead of the singular. We must refer this to an anomaly of number, where a nominative singular takes a plural verb; as in Ex. 1: 10. Job 17: 16. Is. 28: 3. Obad. 13; or we may either read with Lud. de Dieu, as to her hand, she laid it, etc. or regard the present punctuation as an irregular one, instead of this latter.|| VERSE 27. 2. It is not necessary to understand this word of the violent convulsions of the dying chieftain, as Schnurrer does. We have only to suppose, as is highly probable, that he was sleeping on a bed or divan, elevated somewhat above the floor, from which he would naturally fall upon the latter. The word signifies to sink upon the knees, either in reverence, or as inchoative of falling; so in 2 K. 9: 24 ??? i, and he sunk down in his chariot. VERSE 28. By a prosopopeia no less abrupt than beautiful, the mother of Sisera is now introduced as looking from her lattice, in anxious impatience for the return of her lingering son. * Jowett's Christ. Researches, Bost. 1826. p. 210.-Niebuhr, Reisebeschreibung nach Arabien, II. p. 373. † Ant. Jud. V. 5. 4. Reisebeschr. I. 314. Oedmann's Sammlungen aus der Naturkunde, Th. VI. p. 142. || Gesenius Lehrgeb. p. 800. Hollmann in loc. She consoles herself with the idea, that his delay is occasioned only by the division of the booty; and here is shewn the deep insight into human nature which the sacred writer possessed,an insight especially into the frivolity of the oriental female character. Her consolation springs not from the hope of his triumphant return as a warrior and conqueror, and public benefactor; but arises from the slaves, the versicoloured garments, the splendid ornaments and attire, which will fall to his share.*In the mouth of the exulting Hebrew poetess, this is a burst of keen and scoffing irony against a foe who never dreamed of defeat, and awaited only the spoils of victory and the rejoicings of triumph. 22, fut. from Piel, a word nas lɛyóμɛvov in Hebrew, but the same in Arabic, viz. clamavit, vociferatus est, etc. It probably corresponds to the Hebrew words 72 and 7, signifying to cry out, either in joy or sorrow. Here it is spoken of the anxious inquiry or cry of the mother of Sisera; hence the Vulgate not improperly, ululabat. , through the lattice. The word s occurs only here and in Prov. 7: 6. It comes from a root i. q. Arabic to be cool, spoken of the day, etc. and hence signifies a lattice, blind, which admits the cool air. It is hardly necessary to remind the reader, that in the cast, the windows of all female apartments are thus constructed with lattices. , 3 praet. Polel from w, lit. why does his chariot shame [us] in coming; i. e. why does it delay, linger. So also VERSE 29. i nin. These words may properly be rendered, her wise ladies, i. e. her noble female attendants; as stones, 1 Sam. 17:41. The form, is 3 sing. fem. fut. with fem. suffix, referring to a plural nominative taken distributively. Several manuscripts read, in the plural without a suffix; but this is less well. Compare Lowth's Lectures on Hebrew Poetry, Lect. XIII. Gesenius Lehrgeb. p. 678. Gesenius ib. p. 713. Stuart ib. § 476, coll. 487. No. III. 77 The Vulgate refers here to .עַף הִיא תָשִׁיב אֲמָרֶיהָ לָהּ one of the attendants, who is supposed to utter the following words. So also Michaelis and others. The word, however, obviously refers to the mother of Sisera herself; and so the Septuagint has taken it; as also Schnurrer and most modern interpreters. She recalls her former desponding exclamations; and proceeds to express brighter hopes, and a more pleasing cause for Sisera's delay. By referring the suffix in and to the attendants collectively, we may translate: yea, she also returns answer to them; so Hollmann. But it seems to me far stronger and more poetical to refer these suffixes to the mother of Sisera, and render: yea, she returned her answer to herself; comp. Prov. 22: 21. In this way this orizos becomes parallel to the preceding one. Or we may here render directly, she recalled, sc. her former words; compare Num. 23: 20. Esth. 8: 5, 8. This is preferred by Schnurrer. VERSE 30., literally, is not? and then through the force of the interrogation, lo! surely, etc. Gesenius Lex. art. For the rhythm in this verse, see p. 578 above.-The spoils here spoken of are such as are accounted most precious in oriental nations. Female slaves held the first place in the estimation of the orientals, and also of the Greeks; compare Num. 31: 18. Homer II. I. 111 seq. Stores of clothing formed too one of the chief articles of wealth and consideration; Judg. 14: 12. Is. 3: 6, 7, where comp. Gesenius Comm. in loc. -or as gor ,צְבָעִים I construe here in apposition with רִקְמָה erned by the force of implied. The verb signifies both in Hebrew and Arabic to diversify, make variegated, sc. in colour; and is not necessarily applied to needle work.* Hence is any thing variegated, striped, etc. So also the dual is to be construed in the same way; or both this and may be in apposition with the preceding. The best and most obvious interpretation here is, to regard as put for ; an ellipsis of ordinary occurrence. We may then translate: garments for the neck (person) of the spoiler, i. e. Sisera. So the Syriac and Arabic versions. The Septuagint and Vulgate give here words without meaning. Schnurrer takes in its proper sense for plunder, * Hartmann's Hebräerinn III. p. 148. Gesenius Lex. sub voce. + Gesenius Lehrgeb. p. 648. Stuart's Heb. Gr. 444, note. and understands captured animals, which he supposes to have been usually led in triumph decorated with trappings and ornaments upon their necks. In this sense of, it might perhaps be better referred to the decorations of the female slaves. For an untenable suggestion of De Sacy, see Hollmann in loc. VERSE 31. The prophetess does not stop to say that all these hopes of Sisera's mother were dashed to the ground; but implies this in another abrupt apostrophe, in which she invokes like destruction upon all the enemies of Jehovah. This abruptness makes a far more vivid impression, than any language. The particle refers, not to what is expressed, but to what is thus implied, the frustrated hopes and wailings of the mother and her attendants, over the slaughter of her son and the destruction of their people. In the next clause the person is changed; although the Syriac, Vulgate, and two Mss. read 7. For the attribute of strength here applied to the sun, compare Ps. 19: 5, 6.-On the whole of this closing apostrophe, see above on p. 569. This last sheet was already in the hands of the printers, when I received from Germany the first number of the Theologische Studien und Kritiken for 1831, conducted by Professors Umbreit and Ullmann. This number contains an article by Professor Köster of the University of Kiel, on the Strophes, or Parallelism of Hebrew Poetry. His object is to show, that "the verses of Hebrew poetry are regulated by the same law of symmetry, as the members of the verses; and that consequently this poetry is, in its essence, composed of strophes, i. e. its verses are arranged in symmetrical divisions." This position he undertakes to demonstrate, by the exhibition of several Psalms and other poetical pieces, divided into their several supposed strophes. That this theory has some foundation in fact, is unquestionable. Indeed the refrains in Psalms XLII. and XLIII. leave no doubt on this point. But whether the theory is true to the extent proposed by Professor Köster, we may be permitted to doubt. In many instances he has made strophes, where, for ought we can see, so far as it regards symmetry, he might just as well have made them in any other place. I might rather say, perhaps, that his theory, as he reduces it to practice, must be true; for he professes to make the strophes every where coincident with the divisions of the sense; and thus, leaving symmetry practically out of view, he gives the name of strophe to that which we have been accustomed to call paragraph. My only object in mentioning the article of Professor Köster, is simply to remark, that he has also there given a version of the Song of Deborah. The translation coincides in most particulars with that which I have given. The only important difference is, that he separates verse 12 from all connexion with either the preceding or following verses; just as I have separated v. 23. He supposes that these two verses are exclamations thrown in by the poetess, which serve the purpose of dividing the larger sections or strophes from each other. He thus makes three larger divisions or strophes; viz. verses 2-11, the exultation of victory; verses 13-22, the conflict and triumph; and verses 24-31, the death of the hostile chieftain. The two first strophes are composed of ten members each; the last only of eight. It seems to me, that a comparison of these three so called strophes is sufficient to shew, that a theory which applies to them the terms symmetrical, parallel to each other, etc. must be founded in part at least on shadows.—The suggestion of making verse 12 a separate exclamation or apostrophe, strikes me favourably; and had not the sheets been already printed off, I should have made the change. NOTE. It should have been mentioned on p. 568, that the Commentary on Judges V. there attributed to Jerome, is supposed by the editor of his works not to be genuine, and to have been composed not earlier than the seventh century. LITERARY NOTICES. There remains only room to give the titles of a few recent publications. ROSENMUELLER, Scholia in V. T. Pars IX. Scripta Salomonis complectens, II Tom. Lips. 1830. (Vol. I. contains Proverbs. Vol II. Ecclesiastes and Canticles.) Scholia in V. T. in Compendium redacta, Vol. III. Psalmos complectens. Lips. 1830. Biblische Alterthumskunde, Band IV. Leipz. 1830. (Vol. I. of Nat. Hist.) WINER, Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Sprachidioms; 3te ganz umgearbeitete Ausgabe, Leipz. 1830. THOLUCK, Commentar über den Römerbrief, 3te Ausg. Berl. 1830. |