16

17

18

19

lamb, and the offering of flour, and the oil, every morning, for a continual burnt-offering.

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof * shall belong to his sons; it shall be their possession by inheritance. But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty, when it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance given to his sons shall be theirs. Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance, to + force them out of their possession; but he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.

Then he brought me through the entry which was at the side of the gate into the holy rooms belonging to the priests, which looked northward: and, lo, a place was 20 there in the side thereof westward. And he said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespassoffering and the sin-offering, and where they shall bake the offering of flour: that they carry them not forth into + H. oppress.

*H. it shall be.

13–15. “Here is only mention made of a morning offering, and the evening offering is entirely omitted: which makes an important difference between this and the old laws. Exod. xxix. 38-46." Michaelis. 16. –the inheritance thereof.—“ Out of his inheritance. ó. as v. 17.”

Secker.

17.

—but his inheritance.-Houbigant reads n with 6. Syr. "but the inheritance of his sons &c." Secker approves of this reading. 19. Then he brought me &c.—See c. xliv. 4.

—the side thereof.—Perhaps 1. Syr. has the affix. Houbigant reads, in latere occidentali.

20. shall boil.-2 Chron. xxxv. 13.

—the trespass-offering.-That part of this, and of the sin-offering, and of the offering of flour, was the portion of the priest, see Numb. xviii. 9, 10.

21

the outer court, to sanctify the people. Then he brought me forth into the outer court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, lo, * in every corner of 22 the court there was a court. In the four corners of the court were small courts, forty cubits in length and thirty 23 in breadth: the four corners were of one measure.

And

there was a row of building round about in them, even round about them four; and it was made with boiling24 places under the rows round about. Then he said unto me, These are the houses of them that boil; where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.

1

CHAPTER XLVII.

Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, lo, waters issued forth from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under the right threshold of the house, on the south

* H. a court in the corner of the court, a court in the corner of the court.

22.

-to sanctify the people.-See on c. xliv. 19.

-small courts.—Read op with Syr. 6. Houb. But fumosa, Dathius as marg. Engl. made with chimneys.

-forty cubits.-Add D, or 8, with all the ancients.

.MS 1 מקצעות .2MSS לארבעת-.the four corners

.MS 1 הטורת .MS 1 הטובות-.under the rous

23. -made.-Et culinæ erant id quod factum fuit.

1.

-eastward.-Which threshold was towards the east.

-the right threshold. is the reading of 3 MSS. and of Chald. "the right hand, or south, side of the threshold." It was one reed broad.

2 of the altar. Then he brought me out by the way of the

gate northward; and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate which was by the way that looked 3 eastward; and, lo, waters ran from the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits; and he caused me to pass through the waters, and the waters were to the 4 ankles. Again he measured a thousand cubits ; and he caused me to pass through the waters, and the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through [the waters,] and the 5 waters were to the loins. Again he measured a thousand cubits, and it was a river which I could not pass through : for the waters were lifted up, and were waters † to swim in, a river which could not be passed through. 6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me and caused me to return by the

c. xl. 6. Or nnno inferne, adverbially from beneath, from the right side of the threshold of the house." The waters are said to flow from the right, or south part; because the face is supposed to look eastward, when the points of the heavens are to be fixed. See on Joel ii. 20.

3.

4

2. —from the right side.-When the prophet came to the outer eastern gate, still he saw waters running from the south side of that gate. -ankles.—So Syr. Chald. Aq. Symm. Theod. V. Houb. Dath. -the waters were to the knees.-See' for 'D, MSS. 1 ed. -and he caused me to pass through [the waters].—In 7 MSS. ' is added; it stood originally in an eighth, perhaps in a ninth, and is found in the margin of a tenth.

5. —were lifted up.—'E¿úßpičev, ó. lifted up their proud waves. But MS. Pachom. reads eßpačev. These waters beautifully represent the gradual progress of the gospel. See Isai. ii. 2-4. Christ and his

apostles often taught in the second temple. Compare the allegory with Joel iii. 18. Zech. xiv. 8. Isai. lv. 1. John vii. 38.

6.

caused me to return.-From the temple along the brink of the

brink of the river.

Now as I returned, lo, on the brink

of the river were very many trees on this side and on that 8 side. Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern border, and go down to the desert, and go into the sea; they go forth into the salt sea, and the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass that every living thing which moveth, whithersoever the river shall come, shall live: and there shall be very many fish: because these waters shall come thither and shall heal, therefore every thing shall live whither the river shall

9

river. But 3 MSS. and Syr. ''w', and placed me.

..is the reading best supported וישיבני

However,

8.they go forth into the salt sea.-I read D'ayı' non o'n by. Ὁ Ἑβραῖος, ἀντὶ τῆς διεκβολῆς, τῆς ἁλμυρᾶς τῆς θαλάσσης ἔχει. See Montf. Hex. and Syr. has "in mare, in aquas fœtentes." The healing of the waters supposes that their bad quality is expressed: and v. 10, 11, restrain the sense of ▷ to the Dead Sea or Sea of Sodom, called n ▷ Gen. xiv. 3. Deut. iii. 17, “in contradistinction to the Sea of Galilee, the water of which was fresh." Tayl. conc.

-shall be healed.—This finely represents the tendency of the gospel

to heal the corruptions of human nature.

-whither soever the river shall come.п 6. Ar. Syr. V. 3n1 ›p

Ch. "the river shall come, the sea shall live." Michaelis :

נחל ים into נחלים dividing

The

-shall live.—Even in the Asphaltite lake, which is so unfavourable to animal life. Josephus represents this lake as salt and incapable of feeding fishes. Tacitus says that it does not suffer fishes, or water fowl, to live in it. Yet Maundrell observed two or three shells of fishes on the shore. Bishop Pococke found its water very salt; and on tasting it his mouth was constringed, as if it had been a strong alum water. Bishop observes, "It has been said by all authors, and is the common opinion, that there is no fish in this lake: the fresh water fish of the river Jordan probably would not live in it. After I left the holy land, it was positively affirmed to me that a monk had seen fish caught in this water; and possibly there may be fish peculiar to the lake, for which this water may not be too salt :-but this is a fact that deserves well to be inquired

10

come.

And it shall come to pass that fishers shall stand upon it; from En-gedi even to En-eglaim there shall be a spreading forth of nets; and their fish shall be, according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea exceeding many. As for the miry places thereof, and the pits thereof, they shall not be healed; they shall be appointed 12 for salt. And by the river upon the brink thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for food,

11

into. The air about this lake has always been thought to be very bad." See the very curious accounts of this lake which Bishop Newton has collected, vol. ii. 4o. 204. "The Dead Sea is more brackish than any known sea or salt-well in the world. It contains as much salt as water can dissolve, viz. the fourth part of the weight of the water: and this is the reason why neither men nor animals sink in the Dead Sea. If you throw fishes into so heavy a water, they cannot swim in it; but fall immediately on their side." Michaelis.

10.

shall stand.-There is authority in MSS. for 170y and 170, which latter Houbigant prefers.

-from En-gedi.—This is the punctuation of Syr. Vulg. Arab. and may be that of 6. En-gedi was in the wilderness of Judah. Josh. xv. 61, 62. De L'isle places it towards the south west point of the Dead Sea. -to En-eglaim.—This city is placed by De L'isle at the north of the Dead Sea, where the Jordan runs into it. Eglaim is mentioned Isai. xv. 8, as a place on the borders of Moab, which country ran on the east of the Dead Sea.

-and their fish shall be.-It is obvious to correct the text by reading

.יהי :ולמיה

—according to their kinds.-In their several kinds, each kind as numerous as the fish of the Great Mediterranean Sea.

In v. 9, 10, there is an amplification of what is said in v. 8, that the waters should be healed: and the salutary effect of the gospel is strongly illustrated.

11. the miry places.-'n

MSS. that is, as I suppose,

.cenum, lutum בצה or בצא from בצותיו or בצאותיו

-they shall not.—, 16 MSS. and, as Houbigant observes, all the ancients. Vau precedes.

-for salt.-They shall remain filled with salt water. The allego