Scripture Notes | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 2, 1868

Scripture Notes.

LAPPING WATER LIKE DOGS.

JUDGES vii, 6. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

Lapped.] “A token of their temperance and nobleness of spirit.”—Patrick. “It was not uncommon among the ancients, when unprovided with vessels, to take up the water in their hands, and lap it thence, like a dog; and it is remarkable that the Hottentots, at this day, have a custom very similar.” Campbell says, “When they come to water, they stoop down; but no further than to reach the water with the right hand, by which they throw it up so dextrously, that their hand seldom approaches nearer to the mouth than a foot; and I never observed any of the water to be spilt, so as to wet their breasts. They perform it nearly as quick as the dog, and satisfy their thirst in half the time taken by another man.”—Williams.

WINE WHICH CHEERETH GOD.

JUDGES ix, 13. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Wine, which cheereth God and man.] “This form of speech is perfectly justifiable as connected with Jewish sacrifices. Wine was not only used in their libations, but, till the drink-offering was poured out, they did not begin the hymn which was then sung to God.”—Hewlett.

PUT OUT HIS EYES.

JUDGES xvi, 21. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Put out his eyes.] “Travelers in the East inform us, that this custom is common there. The unhappy victims of the courts are deprived of sight by drawing or holding a red-hot iron before the eyes, piercing the pupils, or taking the eyes out whole with the point of a dagger. In Persia it is no unusual practice for the king to punish a rebellious city or province by exacting so many pounds of eyes; and his executioners accordingly go and scoop out from every one they meet, till they have the weight required.”—Chardin, Thevenot, Malcolm, Sir R. K. Porter, in Evang. Syn.

BENJAMIN’S MARKSMEN.

JUDGES xx, 16. Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.

“Such excellent marksmen there have been in other countries, particularly in the islands called [from the Greek word signifying to dart or to throw] Baleares, [Majorca and Minorca,] where they were bred from childhood to hit a mark with a stone slung out of a sling, or else to lose their breakfast, as Strabo relates. [There is still a remnant of this race said to exist in the middle of Minorca, who think it shame “to miss their mark once out of 17 times,” firing with a gun.—Jenks.] Benjamin’s warlike disposition was prophesied of by Jacob, when he said, Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf.”—Patrick.

ANARCHY WITHOUT A KING.

JUDGES xx, 25. In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

No king, &c.] “Repeated no doubt to account for the disorders and enormities in the four preceding chapters.—The writer of Judges ought to be admired for the impartiality with which he relates facts so little to the credit of his nation.”—Dodd. Right in his own eyes.] “It was a custom among the ancient Persians, to let the people loose to do what they list, for five days after their king died, that, by the disorders then committed, they might see the necessity of a king to govern them; and when they had one, be more obedient to him.”—Id.

THE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING.

GEN. xxxix, 20, 21. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

“If Satan cannot induce us to sin, he will do his utmost to distress us; and we must expect the embittered resentment of those whose wicked inclinations we disappoint; and to be accused of the very crimes which we abhor, yea, because we abhor them. It is, however, far better, if the will of God be so, that we suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing; a clear conscience and the presence of a merciful God will support us not only under our trials, but under the most injurious calumnies; and we need not use much labor to vindicate ourselves, for in due time the Lord will vindicate us and clear off every aspersion. The more meekly and patiently we suffer, the less bitterness shall we experience in our trials, and the more consistent will our conduct be with the Christian character. By all these things the Lord is training up his people for glory; perhaps for better scenes, and important services in this present world; and if we are not in a wrong spirit, or out of the path of duty, we can never be out of the way either of comfort or usefulness. But let us not forget, through Joseph, to look unto Jesus, who suffered, being tempted, yet without sin; who was calumniated and persecuted, yet without cause; who was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth, to recriminate, or vindicate himself; and who by the cross ascended to the throne.”—Scott.