Ipoken: furely in that day there fhall be a great shaking in the land of Ifrael: So that the fishes of the fea, fhall fhake at my prefence, and the fowls of the heavens, and the beasts of the field, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the ground, and all the men that (are) upon the face of the earth : and the mountains fhall be thrown down, and the fteep places fhall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground." The "great shaking" does not denote an earthquake, as Archbishop Newcombe (after Houbigant) has erroneously thought: (See his note on this place) but under this figure, the Prophet has fhewn the dreadful flaughter of the nations, who are compared to " the fishes of the fea," &c. And "the fall of the mountains," &c. denotes the fall of their kings, princes, and great men: the fame as the heavens &c, denote thrones and dignities; (as fhewn Vol. Ift. p. 215. &c.) and therefore, the Prophet immediately explains the figure: "And I will call for a fword against him throughout all my mountains, faith the LORD God: every man's sword fhall be against his brother." That is, the Chrifti

ver. 21.

Rr 2

Chriftians against the Mahometans; for as the former are defcended from Edom, and the latter from Ishmael; they, according to Scripture language, are brethren.

The Prophet then proceeds to fhew that, God will not only take vengeance on them by the fword; but also by the pestilence, fire, &c. and by which, he will be magnified in the fight of the nations: ver. 22-23. "And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and (with) an overflowing shower, and great hail ftones; (and) fire and brimstone will I rain upon him, and his bands, and upon the many people* that (are) with him. Thus will I magnify myself, and fanctify myfelf, and I will be known in the fight of many nations; and they shall know that I am the LORD." For when God shall take vengeance on the nati ons, for what they did to his people; they will stand in awe of him; his particular providence will then be acknowledged ;' and he will be magnified, as a juft judge.

upon

The Prophet goes on to exemplify more at large, the figurative language that he had

• Heb. Peoples.

made

made ufe of above: chap. xxxix. 1-7. *Therefore, thou fon of man, prophecy againft Gog, and fay, Thus faith the LORD God; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, prince of Rhos Mefhech and Tubal; And I will turn thee back, and will strike thee with fix (plagues*), when I cause thee to come up from the north quarters, and bring thee upon the mountains of Ifrael. And I will finite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will caufe thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Ifrael, thou and all thy bands, and the people that (are) with thee; to the birds of every fort †, and (to) the beasts of the field, have I given thee to be devoured. Thou fhalt fall upon the face of the field: for I have fpoken (it), faith the LORD God. And I will fend a fire on Magog, and on them that dwell fecurely in the ifles and they shall

This is according to Kimchi's father, and Abarbanal as the Prophet fays, with peftilence, and with blood, and with an over-flowing shower, and great bail Alones, fire and brimflone which are the fix plagues that he is to be fmitten with. But Jarchi, thinks, it denotes to deceive. And Kim. chi explains it thus, I will leave a fixth (part) of thee.

+ Heb. Wing.

know

ven months fhall the houfe of Ifrael be burying them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land fhall bury (them); and it fhall be a renown to them (in) the day that I fhall be glorified, faith the LORD God."

He farther informs us, that they will be fo diligent in cleanfing the land, that even after the feven months, they will make ftrict fearch after the carcafes that yet remain unburied: ver. 14-15. "And they fhall fet apart men of continual employment, paffing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth to cleanse it; after the end of feven months fhall they fearch. And the paffengers (that) pass through the land, when (any) feeth a man's bone, then fhall he fet up a mark by it, till the buriers bury it in the valley of the multitude of Gog. Alfo the name of the city shall be MULTITUDE. Thus fhall they cleanse the land.

*

The Prophet then, in bold figurative language, goes on to fhew that, there will alfo be another event that will greatly contribute

*Heb. Build.

to

to the cleanfing of the land, by a general invitation given to the birds, and beafts of prey, to the facrifice on the holy mountains of Ifrael ver. 17-20. "And thou, fon of man, Thus faith the LORD God: Say unto every winged bird, and unto every beaft of the field; Affemble yourfelves, and come, gather yourselves from every fide, to my facrifice which I make for you, (even) a great facrifice upon the mountains of Ifrael: and

ус

fhall eat flesh and drink blood. The flesh of the mighty shall ye eat, and the blood of the princes of the earth fhall ye drink, of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats; of bulls, all of them fatlings of Bafhan. And ye fhall eat fat till ye be full, and ye fhall drink blood till ye be drunken, of my facrifice which I have made for you. Thus fhall ye be filled at my table (with) horses and (with their) riders, (with) mighty men and (with) all † warriors, faith the LORD God."

And here, the honour of God, my veneration for his holy word; and my feeling for the honour of our nation; will by no means permit me to omit taking notice of the in

Heb. Sacrifice.

+ Heb. Mea of war.

VOL. II.

S$

famous