holds to rule over many. Let us now confider, how these inconveniences may be wholly avoided by a new translation. Thus (4) shall be do; So the fame words are tranflated ver. 30; but then here a stop is to be made. To (5) the defenders of Mabuzzim, or to the priests of Ma→ buzzim: Here the force of the particle is expreffed; here again the abftract is used for the concrete as in the foregoing verfe, holds or fortreffes for defenders and fupporters, or priests as it may be tranflated; and this notion of the word I find (6) approved and confirmed by Father Houbigant. It is manifeft, that perfons must be meant, because they are said afterwards to rule over many. Together (7) with the strange god whom he shall acknowlege: This is the most ufual fignification of the prepofition; and if Mahuzzim be not confidered as the ftrange god, it is difficult to say who the ftrange god is. He (8) fhall multiply honor: Here is no conjunction, nor prepofition inferted without authority from the original. He fhall multiply honor: the noun is the fame as the verb in the verse preceding, be fhall honor. He shall multiply honor to the defen many, defenders and champions of Mahuzzim, as well as to Mahuzzim themselves. Deifying Mahuz-zim, he shall also glorify their priests and minifters (9) and he fhall caufe them to rule over and the earth he shall divide for a reward. The prophecy thus expounded, the completion becomes obvious and evident to the meanest capacity. The defenders and champions of Mahuzzim were the monks, and priests, and bishops: and of them it may most truly and properly be faid, that they were increased with honor, that they ruled over many, and divided the land for gain. Mr. Mede (1) applies the latter part to the Mahuzzim themselves: and he paraphrases it after this manner; "Yea he fhall dif tribute the earth among his Mahuzzim; fo "that befide several patrimonies which in every "country he fhall allot them, he fhall fhare "whole kingdoms and provinces among them: "Saint George fhall have England, Saint Andrew Scotland, Saint Denis France, Saint James Spain, Saint Mark Venice, &c, and bear rule "as prefidents and patrons of their feveral (9) והמשילכם ברבים pa på п781 et dominari faciet eos in multos, terramque partietur in mercedem. coun (2) Et hæc Porphyrius ad Antiochum refert: quod undecimo anno regni fui rurfus contra fororis filium Ptolemæum Philometorem dimicaverit. Qui (1) Mede's Works. p. 672. audiens venire Antiochum,con grega "countries." But it appears more natural and eafy to understand it of the principal teachers and propagators of the worship of Mahuzzim, the bishops, and priefts, and monks, and religious orders and that they have been honored, and reverenced, and almost adored in former ages ; that their authority and jurisdiction have extended over the purfes and confciences of men; that they have been enriched with noble buildings and large indowments, and have had the choieft of the lands appropriated for church-lands; are points of fuch public notoriety, that they require no proof, as they will admit of no denial. Such was the degeneracy of the christian church, and now we fhall fee its punishment, especially in the eastern part of it. And at the time of the end fhall the king of the fouth push at him, and the king of the north fhall come against bim like a whirlwind with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships, and he shall enter into the countries, and fhall overflow, and pafs over. (ver. 40.) Thefe things also (2) Porphyry refers gregavit multa populorum millia. Sed Antiochus quafi tempeftas valida in curribus, et in equitibus, et in claffe magna ingreffus fit terras plurimas, et tranfeundo univerfa vaftaverit : veneritque ad terram inclytam, id eft, Judæam,-et arcem munierit de ruinis murorum civitatis, et fic perrexerit in Ægyptum. Hieron. ibid., (3) Obiit refers to Antiochus: that in the eleventh year, of his reign he warred again against his fifter's fon Ptolemy Philometor, who hearing of his coming gathered together many thousands of the people; but Antiochus like a whirlwind with chariots, and with horfemen, and with a great fleet entered into many countries, and in paffing over laid all wafte; and came to the famous land, that is Judea, and fortified the citadel out of the ruins of the walls of the city, and fo marched forwards into Egypt. But here Porphyry may be convicted of falfifying hiftory; for after Antiochus was difmiffed out of Egypt by the Romans, he never ventured to go thither again. The (3) eleventh was the laft year of his reign: and all (4) hiftorians agree, that the latter part of his reign was employed in his eastern expedition, in reducing Artaxias king of Armenia to his obedience, and in collecting the tribute among the Perfians; and before he returned, he died. Others therefore (5) have faid, that the prophet here refumes his former fubject of the wars between Antiochus Epiphanes (3) Obiit cum regnaffet annos folidos undecim. Petavii Rat. Temp. Part 1. Lib. 4. Cap. 10. So likewife Eufebius. Jerome, & Sulpitius Severus. Ufher's Annals. A. M. 3840. Prideaux Connect. Part 2. B. 3. Anno 164. (4) 1 Macc. III. 31, &c. VI. 1, &c. 2 Macc. IX. 1, &c. Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 12. Cap.8. Sect. phanes king of Syria, and Ptolemy Philometor king of Egypt. But it is not likely, after giving an account of the conclufion of those wars by the interpofition of the Romans, that he should feturn to them again. Having hitherto deduced things in a regular feries, it is more probable that he should continue that feries, and proceed to other subsequent events, than that of a fudden he should stop short, and revert to Antiochus, after the intermixture of fo many other affairs. But the question is not fo much what it was probable for him to do, as what he actually hath done: and we fhall find, that the remaining parts of the prophecy are more applicable to other fubfequent events than to the transactions of Antiochus. The kings of the fouth and the north are to be taken and explained according to the times, of which the prophet is fpeaking. As long as the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria were fubfifting, fo long the Egyptian and Syrian kings were the kings of the fouth and the north: but when these kingdoms were swallowed up in the Roman empire, then other Sect. 1. p. 544. Edit. Hudfon. Hieron. Col. 1131. powers (5) Menochius, Sanctius, Maldonatus &c apud Poli Synops, Calmet, Houbigant, &c in locum. (6) Mede's |