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32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. 33

Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites;

34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that

time.

35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.

36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

:

Verse 1. "Them that went up with me."-The whole number, according to the ensuing particulars, is 1754 persons who availed themselves of this opportunity of joining their countrymen at Jerusalem. But it will be observed that this number gives only the males, and most probably only the adult males, as usual in such calculations; and in this case the whole party, including females and children, would, in the usual proportions, scarcely be less than seven thousand.

15. "The river that runneth to Ahava."-There is no certain information concerning this river or the town which appears to have given it its name. It was doubtless in Babylonia. We have here a curious instance of the delusive conclusions formed from the evidence of names; for most commentators, not being able to find a name like this nearer than Adiabene, in Assyria, which took its name from the river Adiava, conjecture that this may be here intended: that is, that Ezra appointed as a rendezvous for his party, before starting on a journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, a point, about 250 miles distant, in a different direction, and altogether 500 miles out of his way.

"There abode we in tents three days."-This is still the general custom in Western Asia, with large caravans. The rendezvous is appointed at a short distance from the town, and necessarily near a stream, lake, or well, for the convenience of water. To this place the persons who purpose to be of the party proceed with their cattle, baggage, and merchandize (if they have any); and here they remain till the necessary arrangements have been finally completed. Many days sometimes elapse before the caravan actually proceeds on its journey from this rendezvous; for besides the time necessarily required in completing the ordinary arrangements for a long and arduous journey, delay is often occasioned by information received concerning the appearance or movements of robbers, or tribes expected to be hostile, or in negociations with certain tribes to obtain protection from them or exemption from their hostility. The greater the party, the longer is usually the delay; but so general is the application of this principle, that even small parties of travellers, without any real cause for delay, seldom go further than a short distance from the town on the first day, as if for a start, and consider that they really begin their journey when they depart from this place on the following day. Ezra's encampment, from its extent and character, necessarily bore most resemblance to the pilgrim caravans which journey to Mecca, Jerusalem, Kerbelah, Mushed, or other places accounted holy. They proceed in the manner we have mentioned, and are exposed to the same dangers which Ezra apprehended. The great caravan from Egypt to Mecca remains encamped several days at Birket-el-Hadj (Lake of the Pilgrims), about eleven miles from Cairo, before its final departure. (See the cuts and notes to Exod. xii.) The tents which they pitch at the rendezvous are the same which they purpose to carry with them; for during the journey they encamp daily at their resting-places, as there are either no towns or buildings on the road, or none that can afford adequate accommodation. As we never had ourselves an opportunity of observing an encampment of this class so extensive as to convey a proper idea of the present, we may quote Sir R. K. Porter's brief notice of one that struck him as offering a probable analogy. He says, "The whole

valley was covered with the tents of the pilgrims, whose several encampments, according to their towns or districts, were placed a little apart, each under its own especial standard. Their cattle were grazing about, and the people who attended them, in their primitive eastern garbs. Women appeared, carrying in water from the brooks, and children were sporting at the doors. Towards evening, this pious multitude, to the number of eleven hundred at least, began their evening orisons, literally shouting their prayers, while the singing of the hymns, responded by the echoes from the mountains, was almost deafening."

17. "Casiphia."-Some think this was near the Caspian Sea, on account of the alleged analogy of name. This is not only improbable, but impossible, comparing distance and time. It is probably the name of some town in Babyonia; but no one knows its precise situation.

22. "A band of soldiers and horsemen."-The sculptures of Persepolis give the only representations of Persian soldiers applicable to this period. They represent the royal guards, concerning which there are many curious details in ancient authors. They obviously consist of two corps; one of these, in the upright round cap and long Median robe (such as the king himself wore), formed the most honourable body. We can distinguish in these two classes, one armed with spear and shield, and the other with the spear also, but without the shield; and having instead a bow and quiver. Some have spears only, without either shield or bow. The other great division consists of men in the ancient Persian dress, being a short tunic and bent cap. In these also we distinguish two corps, one armed with a spear, bow, and short sword, and the other the same in other respects, but having, instead of the spear, a battle-axe. Those who have the spear carry the bow slung at their girdle; while those who are without the spear carry the bow on their shoulder, attached to their battle-axes. All their bows are in cases, whereas those in the Median costume generally carry them naked, with their left arm inserted through them. These are interesting illustrations of the costume of the ancient Persian soldiers; whose protection Ezra candidly confesses he was ashamed to ask the king for, after he had statea the sufficiency of the Lord's safeguard. Some specimens of them have already been given, for another purpose, in vol. i. p. 613.

It is remarkable that figures mounted on horseback do not occur in any of the Persepolitan sculptures, although there are representations of chariots (see the cut, vol. i. p. 595). This seems a corroboration of the conclusion (see the note to Exod. xiv. 7) that chariots were in use before men mounted horses: and it might also lead to the suspicion that these sculptures were anterior to the time of Cyrus, whose precepts and example first inspired the Persians with a fondness for equestrian exercises, of which, till his time, they had been almost wholly ignorant, for in their mountainous country it was difficult either to feed or ride horses, and few indeed had been ever seen there. Since his time they have been particularly celebrated for their cavalry and horsemanship, and have been so partial to riding, that it has been counted almost disgraceful to walk or march to any distance on foot. That the sculptures were posterior to Cyrus is however demonstrated by the Median robes of the monarch and his guards; and that they had horsemen in and before the time of Ezra is shown as well by the above statement as by the present text, and the concurrent testimony of ancient writers. And indeed, although the sculptures in question do not exhibit mounted figures, there are horses with men beside them; and these we have caused to be copied, as forming the only contemporaneous illus

tration that can be obtained.

"The enemy in the way."-The way they had to take has never been without enemies to all who travel through it. These are the Bedouin Arabs, who thus verify the Divine prediction concerning their progenitor Ishmael, that "his hand should be against every man, and every man's hand against him." (Gen. xvi. 12; see the note there.) None but those who (like the writer of this note) have resided in the district from which Ezra departed, or in some other district bordering on the regions which the Bedouins traverse, can imagine half the anxiety and alarm with which a journey through them is contemplated. The character of the danger is modified by the relative strength of the travelling party and those of the Bedouins which they fall in with, or which waylay them. There is either violent assault, with bloodshed and robbery, or exhausting exactions, or continual robbery and theft secretly and in detail. Hence people travel only in as large masses as can be collected, and often wait for months till a sufficient number desire to travel in the same direction so as to form a strong united body: and in order to form such unions, great sacrifices are frequently made and much inconvenience sustained by the parties which compose them. A party thus formed, whether large cr

small, can only hope to pass with impunity by presenting an appearance of strength and watchfulness calculated to intimidate the Bedouins. The party is obliged to march in a compact body, to be ever on the alert, and to keep watch and ward like a little army. Scouts ride before, which never lose sight of the main body, and the appearance of a single Bedouin is the signal of alarm, as he is probably but the scout or spy of an Arab party. The armed men then prepare for action, or make the best possible display of their force in the hope of preventing an assault. That seldom takes place unless the Bedouins are well assured of victory; and even when that is the case, they are sometimes content with a heavy contribution, which is only next best to absolute plunder. But if there be resistance, the spoliation of the whole is certain; and should one of the Bedouins be wounded or slain, it is equally certain that the travellers must expect no mercy. The knowledge of this damps the courage of even strong parties, and leads them generally to consider it more prudent to pay than to fight their way through the wilderness. Nothing can adequately describe the continual care and apprehension in which such parties travel. It is somewhat like a voyage at sea, when there is cause for constant apprehension of pirates and hurricanes. In the great pilgrims' caravans, most of the adult males are usually armed, and commonly have also a proper escort. This may prevent a direct assault, or any attempt to levy a contribution. But as such caravans generally travel by night, the Arabs contrive to commit very extensive depredations. They approach and mingle with the host; which they can do unquestioned, being taken for camel drivers, poor pilgrims, or other members of the body. Then they watch an opportunity of stealing off some of the camels-particularly such as they suspect to be richly laden. Often the camel on which some pilgrim ventures to sleep as he rides, is thus led off; and, at a safe distance, the man is waked and stripped to the skin; and he may think himself happy if his life be spared and he is allowed to return without his clothes, camel, and baggage, to the caravan. Those who straggle at any distance from their party, even when awake, are served in the same manner. The writer can say that he never travelled with a caravan of any kind without being constantly cautioned against riding in advance of or behind his party. Such are a few of the dangers from "the enemy in the way" of which Ezra was well apprised, and the Lord's help against which was so earnestly supplicated. Our woodcut shows the appearance of the Bedouins who now "lie in wait by the way;" and who certainly are not less dangerous persons than their ancestors were in the time of Eżra. 25. "Weighed unto them the silver, and the gold.”—The sum of the several particulars enumerated (exclusive of "the two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold") amounts in value to a trifle less than 515,000. The report of so large a quantity of treasure was well calculated to induce a predatory attack from the "liers in wait," who have always infested the caravan tracks of the region this great party had to traverse.

CHAPTER IX.

1 Ezra mourneth for the affinity of the people with strangers. 5 He prayeth unto God with confession of sins.

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my 'heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our 'trespass is grown up unto the hea

vens.

7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

11 Which thou hast commanded 'by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled

Heb. moment. Or, a pin: that is, a constant and sure abode.
6 Heb. by the hand of thy servants.

5 Heb. to set up.

417

Verse 8. "To give us a nail in his holy place."-The meaning of this remarkable expression obviously is "to establish (or fix) us in his holy place." We should suppose this figurative expression to be taken from the nails or pins which are driven into the ground for the cords of tents to be fastened to them.