3

4

5

6

To her God she hath not drawn near.

Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions:
Her judges are evening wolves:

They wait not until the morning.

Her prophets are light, they are treacherous men: Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have violated the law.

But Jehovah is just in the midst of her:

He doeth not iniquity:

* Every morning he bringeth his righteousness To light, he faileth not.

Yet the wicked knoweth not shame.

I have cut off nations; their towers are destroyed:

Hebr. men of treacheries. * in the morning in the morning. iniquitous

to rebel, and in Hiphil to provoke: whence V. has provocatrix. The prophet here addresses Jerusalem. I consider this chapter as an elegant part of prophetical poetry.

3. roaring lions] As devouring lions, who roar in the act of seizing their prey.

-evening wolves] So Virgil of the wolf:

"Nec gregibus nocturnus obambulat." Georg. iii. 538

-wait not] from to wait seems the true reading. It is proposed by Houbigant; and is agreeable to the renderings of Ar. Syr. to expect, to remain; and of Chald, to prolong. Like wild beasts, they shun the light. "They break not, or, knaw not, the bones until the morning. All night they prowl about destroying; but they devour not till the morning, when they consume their prey in their dens." Dr. Forsayeth.

Her priests] "The words her priests to the law are the same Ezek. xxii. 26: only the order is inverted, and my added to

.Secker ".תורה and קדש

5. Every morning] The metrical division of the Hebrew is: Every morning his righteousness

He bringeth to light, he faileth not.

The sense is: Not a day passes but we see instances of his goodness to righteous men, and of his vengeance on the wicked,

6. nations] Syria, Israel, [see " Isai. i. 4.] those referred

to Isai. xxxvi. 18, 19, 20. "proud: 6." Secker.

I have laid waste their streets, so that none passeth through;

Their cities are thrown down, so that there is no man, so that there is none inhabitant.

Then I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction:

That her habitation might not be cut off,

After all the punishment with which I had § visited her. Nevertheless they || diligently corrupted all their doings.

Yet wait for me, saith Jehovah,

Until the day when I rise up to the prey.

For my decree is to gather the nations, to assemble the kingdoms;

To pour upon them mine indignation,

Even all the heat of mine anger:

For with the fire of my jealousy

Shall all the earth be devoured.

Surely I will then pour out upon the * people a

pure † language,

Hebr. hunted. § visited upon. -are thrown down] signifies to be laid waste.

they rose early, they corrupted

peoples. † lip. In Syr. and Chald. the original word One MS. has n, an usual word.

7. cut off]" 6. read y. So the translation will be, And all that I have visited upon her, i. e. all my corrections, shall not be cut off from her eyes: which makes an easier construction. If can be taken for 55, and signify to determine about, the latter of which I doubt, it may be: and their dwelling shall not be cut off, according to all that I determined [i. e. conditionally] about them. See Nold. note 792." Secker.

8. Yet wait for me-] It is implied, in the foregoing verse, that the consequence of universal corruption among the Jews was their fall. Here they are taught to expect mercies from God after he has taken vengeance upon them.

--to the prey] 6. Syr. Aq. Symm. Theod, &c. render, for a testimony. The Hebrew may be rendered, for a witness, in testem. See Mal. iii 5.

-the nations-the kingdoms] Those which were to be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar.

9. then] Used largely, for afterwards: unless we confine the passage to the Jews on their return from Babylon.

CALIFORNIA

10

11

ZEPHANIAH. III.

223

That they shall all of them call on the name of

Jehovah,

That they shall serve him with one

From beyond the rivers of § Ethiopia

consent.

My suppliants among my dispersed shall bring
mine offering.

In that day thou shalt not be ashamed

For all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed
against me:

For I will take away from the midst of thee them
that rejoice in thy * pride;

Hebr. shoulder. § Cush.

offering of flour. *Or, greatness.

-will then pour out] I read UN with Houbigant. But thirteen MSS. and three editions read 7 in Hiphil.

-upon the people] Or, peoples. The Gentiles, who shall be converted to Christianity. The words all of them cannot refer to such proselytes as the Jews made before the coming of Christ. But if peoples can be applied to the Jews, as 1 Kings xxii. 28, Joel ii. 6, we may understand v. 9, 10, of that freedom from idolatry for which the Jews were remarkable after the captivity and the rest of the chapter may refer to the blessings which were then bestowed on them.

-consent] Hebr. shoulder: a metaphor from the joint efforts of yoked beasts. See the same phrase in the Chaldee paraphrase, Zech. xiv. 9. Servient coram Domino humero uno.

10. of Ethiopia] Bochart is positive that Arabia Chusæa is meant, and says that the rivers are Besor, which flows into the Mediterranean; Rhinocorura, which flows into the lake Sirbonis; Trajanus amnis, which flows into the Red Sea; and the Corys. Geogr. p. 212. See a parallel place Isai. xviii. 1 where Bishop Lowth mentions the eastern branches of the Nile, the boundary of Arabia towards Egypt: but doubts whether the parts of the upper Nile towards Ethiopia may not be meant. That Arabia was a distant country, in the estimation of the Jews, see Joel iii. 8. And beyond the rivers of Ethiopia may denote both Africa and the southern Arabia.

and

-among my dispersed] I read with 6. y, disonaguinis fr suppose that in this v. either the conversion of the Jews is meant, or their freedom from idolatry.

11. -thou shalt not be ashamed) Thy guilt and thy punish

ment shall cease.

-in thy pride] Thy idolatrous exalting of thyself against me. See Isai. xiii. 3. Thy rejoicers in pride." Secker.

66

12

13

14

15

16

And thou shalt no longer † exalt thyself in mine holy mountain.

And I will leave in the midst of thee an humble
and lowly people;

And they shall trust in the name of Jehovah.
The residue of Israel shall not commit wickedness,
Nor shall they speak falsehood,

Neither shall a

mouth.

deceitful tongue be found in their

And they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Sing, O daughter of Sion; shout ye, O Israel; Be glad and rejoice with all thine heart, O daughter of Jerusalem:

Jehovah hath taken away thy Judgments, he hath
turned aside thine enemies.

Jehovah, the king of Israel, is in the midst of thee;
Thou shalt no longer see evil.

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not;
And to Sion, Let not thine hands be slack.

17 Jehovah thy God will be in the midst of thee, the Mighty One will save thee:

He will rejoice over thee with gladness, he will § renew his love:

Hebr. thou shalt not add to exalt thyself. a tongue of deceit. § be renewed in. 13. and none shall make them afraid] These words occur Mic. iv. 4.

14. Sing-] 6. MS. Pachom, ed. Ald. and Arab. add op;

.מאד and read

15. thine enemies] The versions, Chald. the Babylonish Talmud, and eighteen MSS. read 7. V. renders D avertit.

הסיר It is equivalent to

-in the midst of thee] Displays his interposition in thy deliverance: or, in thy prosperity; if the passage has a reference to the future restoration of the Jews. This verse is otherwise divided by Syr. Chald. and with much elegance:

Jehovali hath taken away thy judgments:

The King of Israel hath turned aside thine enemies: Jehovah is in the midst of thee: thou shalt no longer see evil. 16. be slack] In rebuilding the city and temple; or, figuratively, in serving thy God.

17. -renew] ó. Syr. point out the reading of ww renova

18

19

20

He will exult over thee with singing.

I have taken away the afflicted among thee from the solemn assembly:

They are taken away from thee, even from causing a reproach against thee.

Behold I will work with thee for thy sake at that time:
And I will save her that || halteth, and her that is
driven out will I assemble;

And I will make them a * praise, and a † name,
In every land where they have been put to con-

fusion.

At that time I will bring you again:

And, at the time when I assemble you,

Surely I will appoint you a § name and a praise
Among all the people of the earth:

When I turn back your captivity before your
eyes, saith Jehovah.

Or, is disabled.

of their shame.

§ for a name,

bitur. So Houbigant; and Bishop Lowth on Isai. xli. 1. For the punctuation of the verse see ō.

18. I have taken away] The word saying is to be understood before this v.

-the afflicted among thee] I read with 6. and Houbigant; and suppose that the prophet means such as deplored their captivity, and prayed for a restoration, in the solemn assemblies of the Jews at Babylon. Zech. vii. 5. The rest of the verse I translate as Houbigant, who reads Thy with Syr. The humiliation and affliction of the Jews furnished matter of reproach to their enemies. Or read Ty, and transpose it, with 6. Ar. Syr. -with singing, as in the solemn assembly. See Houbigant."Qui impediverunt in te tempora solennitatis tuæ, expellam a te. movit," Dathius.

-re הגח ab הוגים מועד Chald. Videtur legisse

19. -with thee for thy sake] I read with o. and Capellus 8. See Ezek. xx. 44.

-halteth] See on Micah iv. 6: where we have a parallel place. 20. before your eyes] This may be understood as an intimation that some of the Jews, who were led captives to Babylon, should survive the period of the captivity, and return to their own country. Syr. and Houbigant ready before their eyes: sc. of the nations.