Scripture Notes | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 7, 1868

Scripture Notes.

PILING STONES OVER DEAD ENEMIES.

Josh. vii, 26. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day.

Raised over him a great heap of stones.] So they did to the king of Ai. viii, 29. Absalom, 2 Sam. xviii, 17. Balisti, in Virgil, &c. Such monuments were raised [over great heroes, as well as great culprits, classes too often distinguished from each other,] and whether over the good or bad, would be useful to posterity, either to excite to their virtues, or deter from their vices. Poole. Similar tumuli are traced from the north of China, across Europe, and America: an indication of the great antiquity of the custom here noticed. And it is a singular circumstance, that there exists in the western part of Massachusetts, upon a conspicuous mountain, a heap of stones; and formerly no Indian of the southern New England tribes passed it without throwing a stone upon the heap; for here, tradition said, was buried an enemy who had greatly troubled their nation. Jenks.

GREAT STONES RAINED FROM HEAVEN.

Josh. x, 11. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

Great stones.] Many suppose, that, besides very large hail, (and near this spot. Alb. Aquensis, in the Gesta Dei per Francos, relates that the army of Baldwin I. lost 30 men by “horrible hail, terrible frost, and indescribable rain and snow,”) meteoric stones may have fallen upon the enemies of Israel. See Dr. A. Clarke, who gives a table by M. Isarn of six showers of stones, recorded to have fallen since B. C. 452, besides twenty instances of one or more stones composed of silica oxides of iron and nickel, magnesia, sulphur and lime, weighing from seven to three hundred lbs., and two masses of iron, one of seventy cubic feet, and the other weighing fourteen quintals. Whether the destruction was caused by hail, or these aerolites, or both, the sacred text mentions it as done by the interposition of Jehovah.—Jenks.

CRYING OF ABEL’S BLOOD EXPLAINED.

Josh. xxiv, 27. And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

It hath heard, &c.] This idea contains a forcible charge of insensibility against mankind, as if they were more regardless of their Maker, than the inanimate creatures, which, by answering the end of their creation, seem to exclaim against the ingratitude and rebellion of the human species. (M. R.—Note, Luke, xix, 40.)—Scott. “Livy relates, ‘The general of the Æqui informed the Roman ambassadors, [sent to complain of a plundering excursion,] that they might deliver their message to an oak which shaded his tent. On this, one of the ambassadors turning away said: ‘This venerable oak and all the gods shall know that you have violated the peace; they shall now hear our complaints, and may they also soon be witnesses, when we revenge with our arms the violation of divine and human rights.’ ”—Rosenm.

GIVING UP THE GHOST.

Gen. xxv, 8. “And Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”

“Gave up the ghost” means no more than expired, or ceased to breathe. A Greek word of similar import is used concerning Ananias and Sapphira; but the words of one evangelist concerning our Lord signify that he yielded up his spirit. The expression “gathered to his people,” decides nothing concerning the eternal state of the persons spoken of, being used without any exact discrimination of character.—Scott.