בית מעון בעל מעון בית בעל מעון

TH

HE firft is mention'd Jer. xlviii. 23; the fecond Numb. xxxii. 38; Ezek. XXV. 9; the third of. xiii. 17. The Word expreffes Habitation, a Bed-Chamber; but is us'd here, and Exod. xxi. 10, Numb. v. 31, without the D, for Converfation between Man and Woman. I have fuppos'd in the Introduction to M.-fine P.p. 179, that as the Defire of this perverted Man to spiritual Adultery, my became a Root for Iniquity: So Pfal. li. 7, Behold for Sin (to be the Offering for Sin) was I born. This is us'd in a fpiritual Senfe, Pfal. xc. 1, Jehovah, thou hast been our Meon. It is also us'd for fpiritual Adultery, Exod. xx. 5, xxxiv. 7; Numb. xiv. 18; Deut. v. 9; Jer. xxxii. 18, Vifiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children (only this taints the Blood.) Jof. xxii. 17, Is the Iniquity of Peor too little for us? Job, xxxi. 28, This also were an Iniquity to be punished by the Judge. Jer. xxxi. 34, I will forgive their Sin. Befides the vitia

ted

ted Instincts of Man, as they attributed the Powers in this Action to their Gods and Goddeffes, they imagin'd that this Action was acceptable to them: That every Woman was once to prostitute herself at their Temples. Nay, lower down, the Poets, to Appearance, make their Gods and Goddeffes play fuch Tricks themselves. Hence the Seventh Command, Exod. xx. 14, Thou shalt not commit Adultery: And hence the ftrict Laws about Matrimony, and many other Claims, under this and many other Words. Dr. Cumberland, in his Sanchon. p. 66, & feq. labours to prove, that this was Peor: Indeed there is not much Difference. As this is the Power which enables Creatures to A&, only this is the Caufe, and the other the effect; and he and all our Chronologers have made this Menes (tho' I think they mistake it for 2) who they make a Man, and Father of their imagin'd Race of Men, who were Kings in Egypt. Indeed, all their Race were Kings, but no more Men than either of thefe were. As this is the Power which enables Brutes to couple, they fay, if the Breath of a Dog which is coupled with a Bitch, and which perhaps couple the ftronglieft of any two Crea

tures

tures, be stopp'd a Moment, he is immediately loos'd.

מפלצת

ME

Ention'd 1 Kings. xv. 13. 2 Chron. xv. 16, from

which fignifics the Action of Concuffion, Convulfion, Trembling, and with the is an Image with that Inftrument, which when us'd, moves in that Manner, and fometimes leaves the Effect of Trembling upon the other Parts. As Fear, an Action of the Mind, has the last nam'd effect upon the Body, Fear is exprefs'd by the fame Word, but has no Relation to this other than by the fame Idea accidentally. The Word To which fignifies Pavor, is us'd this way, Job, xl. 12 or 17, The Sinews of his D are wrapt together. 1 Kings xv. 13, the King's Mother was degraded from her Royal Dignity for fetting up this. I have hinted in the Introduction to Mfine P. p. 179, why thefe Parts, this and the next, were made the Emblems of thefe Powers, and worship'd. This was continued downward, Bochart. Canaan, p. 577, "There was at Naxos in Sicily a Temple of Venus on the Sea-fide, in

"

which were dedicated Privy Members of a large fize:' So Priapus, &c. The Claims cannot be under thefe Words, but there are vaft Numbers under others, Deut. xxviii. 15, But if thou wilt not hearken unto the Voice of Jehovah thy Aleim, Ver. 41, Thou shalt beget Sons and Daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them, for they fhall go into Captivity. A Liar fhould have a strong Memory, and Liars should act in concert: They have conftrued, which is in Hebr. Felicity, or being bleffed, a Grove, and C. Selden. de diis Syr. Syn. i. c. 5, from others, tells you, that was an Image of a Female Deity, and that the Image of this was to gratify that every Day. Mifconftruing her to fignify a Grove, and other Misconstructions upon these Points have led the Mahometans to make this Enjoyment their Paradife here and hereafter.

כמן

M

Ention'd Exod. xxxv. 22. & al. M. "fomething like Breeches, a Female Drefs or Ornament befet with Gold and Jewels, al. a Female Ornament about the Privy Parts. Doct. Heb. a Type of the

Vulva. B. C. it is fo called because it is the Seat of Luft" Scabbas Fol. 641. These inter al. were offer'd Exod. xxxv. 22. And alfo out of the Spoil taken from the Midianites, Numb. xxxi. 50. Whether this have any Relation to μ, mention'd Rom. xiii. 13. may be confider'd.

בית פעור בעל פוב

T

HE first mentioned of. xiii. 20. The fecond Numb. xxv. 3, &c. This was the Aleim of the Moabites. The Word fignifies to open, fo the Agent with Power, which could open. Though it has no Relation to any particular Thing or Part, I think they understood it of the Womb in Cure of Sterility, Kirch. Obel. p. 531. "The Jews worshipped Baal Phegor against Barrenness. So were thefe Signals, al. Phylactaries. B. C. Seraphim are peculiar Angels. In the Tar gum it is written: There are four Keys in the Hand of God, which He delivers to none-neither to Angel or Scraphic Angel, Gen. xiii. 22. T. H." knew what they meant by

The Jews

, that Heat

was