portance to a successful result;-the difficulty of making such vast numbers act in concert against the enemy, or for mutual support;-the tumultuary character of their operations, under the imperfect organization of oriental armies; and the facility with which a panic spreads among large masses:-all these and more are circumstances which concur not to illustrate the probability, but to explain the historical fact, that enormous masses of men have so often been defeated by comparatively small, but compact and vigorous, bodies, animated by one spirit, quick to perceive, and alert to seize the advantages which cannot fail to offer;-more easily directed and controlled, and therefore more capable of concerted action; and not equally obliged, by the difficulty of keeping their army on foot, to hurry into conflict and forego the advantages which may be obtained by manœuvre and delay. If the Lord had been consulted at the commencement of this undertaking (and it is well to remember that he was not, as it helps us better to understand the result), he would probably have directed, as in the case of Gideon, that this vast host should be reduced to a small body of resolute men; but as He was not consulted, except partially and apparently as an afterthought, they seem in the first instance to have been left to their own ill-advised plans, and no divine power was interposed to prevent the very natural result of a conflict of 400,000 against 27,000 “men of valour.” (verse 44.)

33. "Baal-tamar.”—Tamar means a palm tree; and the place perhaps had its name from a grove of palm trees in which Baal was worshipped. We know nothing of the place beyond what the context shows, that it was near Gibeah. Jerome mentions a village as existing, in his time, in this neighbourhood, under the name of Bethamari; and this looks like a variation or corruption of the same name.

45. "The rock of Rimmon."-The escaped Benjamites probably remained in a cave or caves of this rock, or rocky mountain. Of the mountain itself we know nothing distinctly; but some have thought it was the same as the "exceeding high mountain," which was the scene of Christ's temptation, and concerning which see the note to Matt. iv. 8.

Heb. knoweth the lying with man. 3 Heb. young women virgins.

18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, 'on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22 And it shall be, when their fathers or

8 Or, on.

their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, 'Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.

23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.

25 10In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

9 Or, Gratify us in them. 10 Chap. 17. 6, and 18. 1, and 19. 1.

Heb. from year to year. 7 Or, towards the sun-rising. Verse 19. "Behold, there is a feast to the Lord in Shiloh yearly.”—This was doubtless one of the three annual feasts held at the seat of the sanctuary, which at this time was at Shiloh; and it is generally considered to have been the feast of tabernacles, which was celebrated with more festivity than any of the others.

"On the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el."―This is a particular indication of the situation, not of Shiloh, but of the place in the neighbourhood where the young women were likely to come to dance. It is probably thus precisely described, that the Benjamites might not mistake the place. It was not certain that the young women would come there (see verse 21), but it was probable, the custom being common. The Orientals generally have no places in their towns where assemblies may be held for festivity and dancing. It is therefore customary to hold such assemblies in some pleasant places in the neighbourhood, in the gardens and plantations, or in small valleys, if there be any. This is a favourite plan of the women when they desire to enjoy themselves. There are certain occasions of annual recurrence (as the religious festival of Bairam among the Moslems) in which the women are allowed this indulgence in the fullest extent, and thus they form large parties which go out to amuse themselves with music, dancing, and such other recreations as are common among females. The approaches of the place where they assemble are now usually guarded by eunuchs to prevent intrusion. The different sexes never participate in each other's amusements: and this was the case in the times of the Bible; for we never read of any amusement or festivity in which they mingled: and if men had in this instance been present with the daughters of Shiloh, the Benjamites would not so easily have secured their prey. The Oriental women have a great passion for suburban festivities, and have many contrivances for securing its enjoyment. It is the custom at Aleppo to send the women out into the neighbouring gardens and plantations when an earthquake is apprehended, on which occasions they enjoy themselves to the utmost. Not long since, in order to secure this indulgence, the women conspired together, and raised money to hire an astrologer to go to the pasha and foretell an earthquake. He was believed; and the women were sent out of town, and passed two or three days in all sorts of festivity. But as the earthquake did not happen, and the contrivance transpired through the exultation of the ladies at the success of their plan, they were recalled, and the subservient astrologer lost his head. In the island of Malta, the women indicate their Oriental descent by the same attachment to rural festivity in the open air. On the feast of St. Paul, in particular, they resort from all parts of the island to the pleasant valley of Boschetto, and spend the day in feasting, dancing, and music. It is true that some of the males of the respective families are now usually present; but it is properly the women's festival; and so bent are they on securing its enjoyment, that it is one of the strictest stipulations which they make before marriage, that they shall be allowed to spend St. Paul's day, every year, in the valley of Boschetto. We the rather allude to this custom, because it is the celebration of a religious festival, as was that at which the daughters of Shiloh danced their dances; and because it is the relic of a more ancient religious celebration in honour of Melerat (the Tyrian Hercules) which the Phoenician colonists, who settled in Malta, brought with them from Tyre. Indeed there are circumstances which approximate it to the feast of tabernacles, at which the present transaction is supposed to have taken place; for on this occasion it is usual for the people, on their return to Boschetto, to cover the vehicles in which they are conveyed with branches of trees-chiefly of poplar, which was also used in the more ancient festival, that tree having been sacred to the ancient Melcrat of Tyre.

21. « The daughters of Shiloh come out to dance m dances."-The preceding note may be taken to illustrate the custom for the women to go out of the towns to hold the festivities in the open air. It will be recollected that the women of Israel were not required, like the men, to attend at the place of the tabernacle during the three annual festivals; whence it is that "the daughters of Shiloh" only are mentioned in the present text. We also intimated in the former note that the ancient religious festivals were often celebrated with dances-not always so much as a religious act in itself, as an amusement in a season of general festivity; and such, perhaps, were the dances of the daughters of Shiloh. We must not always conclude an act to have a religious intention because it takes place in the season of a religious festival, any more than the festal observances of Easter and Christmas may be considered to form any essential part of the celebration. A festival occurs; and after attending to its prescribed observances, people fall upon their customary recreations, particularly when the festal season is of several days' duration. Dancing seems to have been a very general recreation among the Jews-the sexes dancing apart-both in their ordinary entertainments and greater Dances were also sometimes performed more distinctly on a religious account, than seems to

festival occasions.

have been the case in the instance before us. Thus Miriam and the women of Israel celebrated with music, songs, and dancing, the overthrow of the Egyptians (Exod. xv. 20, 21); and thus David, "danced before the ark with all his might," when it was conveyed to Jerusalem in triumph from the house of Obed-edom (2 Sam. vi. 14). Dancing accompanied with music was, in fact, among the Jews and other ancient nations, a general mode of expressing joy and exultation, whether religious, secular, or domestic: but among some other nations it was more formally and distinctly associated with religious worship than among the Jews, whose dances did not form any part of their worship, but was an act of joy on particular occasions, some of which were religious. The distinction is important. We shall have occasion for some further remarks on the dancing of the Hebrews. We do not know of any authority which Bishop Patrick has for saying, that the Hebrew virgins only danced at the feast of tabernacles; and we have no doubt of its being a mistake. Perhaps it arose from the fact that there was, in later times, more dancing at this than at any other feast; perhaps because it included the harvest-home and vintage festival. In the time of cur Saviour, all the elders, the members of the sanhedrin, the rulers of the synagogues, and the doctors of the schools, and other persons deemed venerable for their age and piety, danced together in the court of the Temple, to the sound of the Temple music, every evening while this feast lasted. The balconies around the court were crowded with women, and the ground with men, as spectators. This, however, conveys no intimation of earlier usage, as the ceremony was professedly in imitation of David's dancing before the ark. They had perhaps better have left the matter as it originally stood. Dr. Jennings, who evidently does not much admire it, says, "All the sport was to see these venerable fathers of the nation skip and dance, clap their hands and sing; and they who played the fool most egregiously, acquitted themselves with the most honour." (Jewish Antiquities,' B. iii, c. 6.)

Heb. hope.
herself.

RUTH.-This book, like the four last chapters of Judges, is properly an appendix to that book, being a narrative of circumstances that occurred "in the days when the Judges ruled." The ancient Hebrew canon accordingly makes it part of the book of Judges; but the modern Jews make it one of the five Megilloth, or volumes, which consist of the Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther; and of which Ruth is sometimes placed the first in order, sometimes the second, and sometimes the last. We know from verse 1, that the circumstances which this beautiful narrative records, occurred in the time of the Judges; but opinions differ exceedingly as to the precise date. The facts that Ruth was the mother of Obed the father of Jesse, David's father; and that Jesse was an old man when David was still but a youth, afford the only data on which an estimate may be formed. Josephus places the events in the time of Eli; but this is unquestionably too late. Others carry it so far back as the time when Israel was subject to the Moabites under Eglon, or when Ehud or Shamgar ruled. This is the opinion of several