Selfish 1

tion with not as in ver. 15, at] the divisions [rather brook of Reuben (there were) great searchings of heart [one letter alo is altered from ver. 16: HiqueRee instead of hiquequee: ma nanimous resolutions ending in empty deliberations, and tho deliberations proving to be such searchings of Reuben's hea as showed him wanting in the hour of trial and of Israe need (Dan. v. 27; so Luke ii. 35; 1 Cor. xi. 19)]. (1 Gilead [i.e., the tribes of Gad and the eastern half Manass For the western half Manasseh joined in the war; ver. 'Machir'] abode beyond Jordan [eastward; taking no part I the war]: and why did Dan remain in ships? [Joppa the s port was in the territory of Dan (Josh. xix. 46, marg.) bably the Danites traded with the Phoenicians. of commercial gain kept Dan from making any sacrifice for nation's independence, "dressing up their own cabins, when whole ship was in danger" (Trapp)]. Asher continued still] on the sea-shore [Hebrew, "the haven of the sea," as Gen. xlix. 13, i.e., the Mediterranean (Josh. xix. 28, 29)], abode in his breaches [i.e., the creeks and river mouths by w his coast was broken]. (18) Zebulun and Naphtali (wer people (that) jeoparded ['despised.' Compare as to the Chris warfare, Paul's contempt of life, and all things for C (Acts xx. 24; Phil. iii. 8; Rev. ii. 10] their lives unto the o in the high places of the field [i.e., on Mount Tabor]. (19) kings came (and) fought [the triumphal ode makes a su transition to describe the foe's advance]; then fought the of Canaan [allied with Jabin, and arrayed in battle u So the elder Jabin had other Cana Sisera's command. kings allied to him (Josh. xi. 1, 2, 5)] in Taanach by [ov the waters of Megiddo [the battle was not fought at Taana Megiddo, but near Mount Tabor (ch. iv. 6, 7), "Drew to Mount Tabor to the river Kishon" (Josephus, Ant., v. The sources of the Kishon are at El Mujahiyeh, “the s head," a chain of pools three miles west of Mount Tabor. the battle been at Taanach, he would have had to leav stronghold of Mount Tabor, and traverse fifteen miles a boggy plain to attack the Canaanites posted strongly o low hills of Taanach. The words "in Taanach" must

of their mighty ones [the repetition implies the incessant cor
Anciently horse
tinuance of the headlong course of the warriors.
were not shod; hence their hoofs were 'broken']. (23) Cur
ye Meroz [if Meroz be Merasas or Murussus, a ruin four mil
north-west of Beisan on the southern slopes of the hills whic
continue 'little Hermon,' the men of Meroz commanded the pas
and could have prevented the escape of any of Sisera's host
that quarter. Raumer identifies Meroz with Kefr Musr, south
Tabor. I prefer the former, from the contrast to Jael's co
duct. The angel of Jehovah (Josh. v. 14, 15), by the mouth
Deborah, curses Meroz for omission of service, where there v
afforded a grand opportunity, faint-heartedness and neutrali
where there can be no neutrality (Matt. xii. 30, xxv. 30),
on the contrary, He blesses Jael for her zeal in behalf of Isra
and faith in intercepting the foe, though her act was sullied
the alloy of treachery. So surely did the curse work, t
Meroz is only known now as the city cursed for indifferen
said the angel of the LORD [JEHOVAH], curse ye bitterly ['v
cursing'] the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to
help of the LORD [JEHOVAH, i.e., to join in His battle.
more remote are blamed. Meroz, close by, whose opportu
of service was greater, is bitterly cursed], to the help of the I
[JEHOVAH] against [or among] the mighty. (24) Blessed an
women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be; blessed shal
be above [Heb. min, apart from,' 'in comparison with '] we
in the tent [though a Kenite, and a woman, she showed a
for Israel which was lacking in the people of Meroz, th-
The women's fi
Israelites and men see iv. 11, 17-22.

place was "the tent" (Prov. vii. 11; Tit. ii. 5), as men's
In the tent Jael, by her patriotic
was the battle field.
for her adopted nation, wrought a deliverance which the
of Meroz declined to attempt in the field]. (25) He
water, (and) she gave (him) milk: she brought forth butter [r
'curdled milk' (Speaker's Comm.), or else 'cream' (Keil)]
lordly dish [Heb. 'dish of lords,' i.e., one reserved for
guests. Wooden platters are commonly used by the A
The Bedawin h
Copper dishes are reserved for chiefs.
delicious preparation of curdled milk called leben, which

TH

offer to guests as a delicacy, especially refreshing to one who is weary; it has a strange soporific effect. Jael probably had this effect in view when she offered it to Sisera]. (26) She put her [left] hand to the nail [tent plug], and her right hand to the workman's hammer [or mallet]; and with the hammer she smote (Heb. 'hammered') Sisera; she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken [rather, "she smote his head (not smote it off: see ver. iv. 21), and struck and pierced"] through his temples. [He who sought to crush Israel with 900 iron chariots, was himself crushed with one iron nail.] (27) At [between] her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at [between] her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead. [The boldness of her act is expressed in the accumulation of words in the last half of ver. 26 and in ver. 27, the fact that he who so long had been the terror of Israel fell at a single blow.] (28) The mother of Sisera [the poetess transports us from Sisera's death-chamber to Sisera's palace far away. What a contrast! Here his mother, looking from an upper chamber, would be impatiently awaiting his return with foreboding fears] looked out of a window, and cried [in anxiety] through the lattice, Why is his chariot (so) long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots? (29) Her wise ladies [the wisest of her princesses.' Irony. How the reality showed the folly of their wisdom' (1 Cor. i. 19; Isa. xxix. 14)] answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself [i.e., she tried to allay her own anxiety by the hopes expressed in ver. 30. Rather the Hebrew is, "but she [N] was turning back her words to herself;" favouring Keil's explanation: But she would not be quieted by the bright anticipations of her ladies. She kept repeating to herself her own anxious question, "Why is his chariot so long in coming?" Then after this parenthesis, follow the words of her ladies]. (30) Have they not sped? [Heb. 'found' booty. They doubt not Sisera has been detained by the division of the large booty. Bitter mocking of the poetess! Sisera himself was all the while lying a mangled corpse!] have they (not) divided the prey [spoil]; to every man [Heb. " to the head of each hero"] a damsel [Heb. 'a womb.' How debased must these princesses have

94

become, to speak thus of the dishonour of their sex!] (or) twe to Sisera a prey [spoil] of divers colours [diverse-coloured cloths a prey [spoil] of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours Sisera's princess needle-work on both sides [or the Hebrew dual may mean tw such pieces of divers-coloured needle-work.

Otherwi

This

unintentionally bear testimony to the industry of Israe daughters (Rom. xii. 11; Prov. xxxi. 22)] (meet) for the necks (them that take) the spoil? [Hebrew for the necks of the spo i.e., of those to whom the spoil is due, as Sisera and such bra heroes. So we find, in Job xxxii. 7, 'days' used for "men days": 'sin' for "a man of sin" (Prov. xiii. 6). translate "for necks as spoil," viz., for the necks of Siser favourites, as his wife, his mother, and his princesses, w when mentioning spoil would not forget themselves. suggest as preferable to the conjecture of Ewald to read 'the royal spouse,' for, spoil,' on the ground that latter has been thrice written before, and that the thrice us implied three distinct classes ("to every man-to Siserathe neck of the royal spouse ") among whom the booty was be divided. My suggestion distinguishes three classes, a preserves the Hebrew plural 'necks,' which Ewald must expl singular, 'neck']. (31) So let all Thine enemies perish, O L [JEHOVAH, Ps. lxviii. 1-3; 1 Sam. ii. 10]; but (let) them i love Him (be) as the sun, when he goeth forth in his might [ iv. 2; Dan. xii. 3; Matt. xiii. 43]. And the land had forty years.

THE BONDAGE, THE ANSWER TO PRAYER, THE CONFLICT ANI
VICTORY, THE THANKSGIVING.

1. The bondage.—(1) Its origin. We have here in ty miniature the history of redemption. Man's sin is the c of man's misery. His misery moves God to mercy. when mercy has removed the scourge which sin had enta the sinner revolts again' (Isa. i. 5; Hos. xi. 7). The so They chose new gods" (ch. v. 8). of Israel's distress was they had been enjoying God, they would have desired none

6