tun eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet. 17 Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of 2 tripping nicely. the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discovers their secret parts. 18 In that day the LORD will take away the bravery of their 5 make naked. smite with a scab," means to make bald, particularly to make the hair fall off by sickness. Our translation conveys the idea essentially, that is, that God would visit them with disease that would remove the hair which they regarded as so great an ornament, and on which they so much prided themselves. Few things would be so degrading and humiliating as being thus made bald. The description in this verse means, that God would humble, and punish them; that they who so adorned themselves, and who were so proud of their ornaments, would be divested of their gay attire, and be borne naked into captivity in a foreign land. the heel of the former." ¶ And mak- | word sippăhh, translated “will ing a tinkling with their feet. That is, they adorn themselves with ankle rings, and make a tinkling or noise with them to attract attention. The custom of wearing rings on the fingers and wrists has been common every where. In addition to this, Oriental females often wore them on the ankles -a custom in itself not more unreasonable or absurd. The custom is mentioned by travellers in Eastern countries in more modern times. Thus Michaelis says: "In Syria and the neighbouring provinces, the more opulent females bind ligaments around their feet, like chains, or bracelets, united by small chains of silver and gold, and exhibit them by their sound as they walk." And Pliny (Nat. Hist. Lib. xxiii. ch. 12) says: Silver has succeeded to gold in the luxury of the females who form bracelets for their feet of that, since an ancient custom forbids them to wear gold." Frequent mention is made of these ornaments, says Rosenmüller, in the Arabic and Persian poems. Roberts, speaking of the ornaments on the feet of females in India, says: The first is a large silver curb like that which is attached to a bridle; the second is of the same kind, but surrounded by a great number of small BELLS; the third resembles a bracelet; and the fourth is convex hoop, about two inches deep." a 18. In that day. That is, in the time when he would inflict this exemplary punishment on them-probably the calamitous times of the Babylonish captivity. The Lord will take away. By the agents that he shall choose to employ in this work. The prophet proceeds to specify the various ornaments that composed the female apparel in his time. It is not easy to describe them particularly, nor is it necessary. The general meaning of the passage is plain: and it is clear from this, that they greatly abounded in ornaments. The bravery. This word we apply to valour or courage. The word here used, however, means ornament, adorning, or glory. ¶ Of their tinkling ornaments. This is the same word which is used in ver. 16, and refers to the chains or clasps with which they ornamented their feet and ankles, and which made a kling noise as they walked. And the cauls. Margin, "net works." The LXX is the same. It is commonly supposed to mean caps of net-work worn on the head. According to tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, others, the word refers to small suns or spangles worn on the hair, answering to the following word moons. "The caul is a strap, or girdle, about four inches long, which is placed on the top of the head, and which extends to the brow, in a line with the nose. The one I have examined is made of gold, and has many joints; it contains forty-five rubies, and nine pearls, which give it a net-work appearance." Roberts. ¶ Their round tires like the Heb. moons. This refers to small ornaments in the shape of crescents, or half-moons, commonly worn on the neck. They were also some moon. 6 or, net works. 7 or, sweet bulls. 8 or, spangled ornaments. times worn by men, and even by camels. Judges viii. 21, (margin,) 26. It is probable that these ornaments might originally have had some reference to the moon as an object of worship, but it does not appear that they were so worn by the females of Judea.-They are still worn by the females of Arabia. Rosenmuller. Roberts says of such ornaments in India: "The crescent is worn by Parvati and Siva, from whom proceed the LINGAM, and the principal impurities of the system. No dancing girl is in full dress without her round tires like the moon." This ornament is still found in the form which THE CHUMARAH. the annexed engraving exhibits-under' the name of chumarah. The chumarah, which signifies moon, is a splendid ornament worn by the women of western Asia in front of their headdresses. It is usually made of gold, set with precious stones and pearls. They are sometimes made of the crescent form, but the most common are such as the engraving represents. They often have Arabic characters inscribed upon them, and sometimes a sentence from the Koran is used by the Mahometan women of Arabia Felix." 19. The chains. Margin, sweet balls. The word used here is derived from the verb nâtăph, to drop, to fall in drops, or to distil, as juice from a plant. Hence it means that which resembles drops-as pearls, or precious stones, used as ornaments for the neck or ears. We retain a similar word as applicable to the ornaments of the ear, by calling them drops. The Chaldee renders this chains, and so also the Vulgate. The LXX understand it of a hanging or pendant ornament-and this is its undoubted meaning-an ornament pendant like gum distilling from a plant. These consist, first, of one most beautifully worked, with a pendant ornament for the neck; there is also a profusion of others which go round the same part, and rest on the 20 The bonnets, and the orna bosom. In making curious chains, the goldsmiths of England do not surpass those of the East." Roberts. And the bracelets. For the wrists. The Chaldee translates it "oracelets for the hands." These ornaments were very ancient. See Gen. xxiv. 22. Num. xxi. 50-Mahomet promises to those who shall follow him, gold and silver bracelets. "The bracelets are large ornaments for the wrists, in which are sometimes inclosed small BELLS." Roberts. ments of the legs, and the head. this place. See the Notes and illustrations on ver. 24. 20. The bonnets. The tiara, headdress, or turban. The word comes from the verb to adorn. The turban is almost universally worn in the Eas It was worn by the priests, Ex. xxxix. 28; by the bridegroom, Isa. lxi. 10. Ezek. xxiv. 17; and by women. Its form is well known. And the orna ments for the legs. The word used here is derived from a verb signifying to walk, to go, particularly to walk in a stately and formal manner-with a ; צָעַד from, הַצְעָדוֹת ,measured step and thus refers to a proud and lofty gait. The ornament which is here referred to is supposed to have been a short chain extending from one foot to the other, worn by the Eastern women to give them a measured and stately gait. Gesenius. This chain is sup ¶ Mufflers. Margin, spangled ornaments. The word used here is derived from a verb, to tremble, to shake-ra' al-and the name is given to the ornament, whatever it was, probably from its tremulous motion. Perhaps it means a light, thin veil, or possibly, as in the margin, spangled ornaments, producing a tremulous, changing aspect. In Zech. xii. 2, the word is used to denote "trem-posed to have been attached by hooks bling"-giddiness, or intoxication. It was early customary, and is still common in Oriental countries, for the females to wear veils. No female ventures abroad without her veil.That which is supposed to be intended here, is described by the Arabian scholiast Safieri, quoted by Gesenius. It is drawn tight over the upper part of the head, but the part around the eyes is open, and a space left to see through, and the lower part is left loose and flowing, and thus produces the tremulous appearance indicated in or clasps to the "tinkling ornaments" mentioned in ver. 16. Safieri mentions these ornaments, and thus describes them: "The word denotes a small chain, with which females when they walk connect their feet, in order to make their steps equal." Happily these ornaments are unknown in modern times, at least in Western countries. They are still retained in the East. And the head-bands. This word means girdles of any kind, still commonly worn on the head. Tha following cut will illustrate one of the HEAD-BAND. usual forms of the head-band. And the tablets. The Hebrew is, as in the margin," the houses of the soul." The word translated soul means also the breath-and hence as one of its mean ings, that which is breathed, or which is smelled; scent, fragrancy, odour. The word houses here may denote also boxes-as boxes of perfumes. The phrase here means, undoubtedly, smell. ing boxes or bottles containing perfumes or fragrant odours. The word tablets has no meaning here. ¶ And the ear-rings. It is by no means certain that the original means ear-rings. The word is derived from the verb signifying to whisper, and then to conjure, to charm (see Note on ver. 3)—and here probably denotes precious stones worn by the females as amulets or charms. The word is often used to denote charming serpents from their hissing-and it has been supposed probable that these amulets were small images of serpents. There is no doubt that such ornaments were worn by Oriental females. "These ornaments seem to have been amulets, often gems and precious stones, or plates of gold and silver on which certain magic formulas were inscribed, which were worn suspended from the neck or ears by Oriental females." Gesenius. The following extract will furnish an explanation of these ornaments: "Besides ornamental rings in the nose and the ears, they [Oriental females] wore others round the legs, which made a tinkling as they went. This custom has also descended to the present times, for Rauwolf met with a number of Arabian women on the Euphrates, whose ankles and wrists were adorned with rings, sometimes a good many together, which, moving up and down as they walked, made a great noise. Chardin attests the existence of the same custom in Persia, in Arabia, and in very hot countries, where they commonly go without stockings, but ascribes the tinkling sound to little bells fastened to those rings. In the East Indies, golden bells adorned the feet and ankles of the ladies from the earliest times; they placed them in the flowing tresses of their hair; they suspended them round their necks, and to the golden rings which they wore on their fingers, to announce their superior rank, and extort the homage which they had a right to expect from the 21 The rings, and nose-jewels. 1 houses of the soul. to lower orders; and from the banks of the Indus, it is probable the custom was introduced into the other countries of Asia. The Arabian females in Palestine and Syria delight in the same ornaments, and, according to the statements of Dr. Clarke, seem claim the honour of leading the fashion. "Their bodies are covered with a long blue tunic; upon their heads they wear two handkerchiefs, one as a hood, and the other bound over it, as a fille: across the temples. Just above the right nostril, they place a small button, sometimes studded with pearl, a piece of glass, or any other glittering substance; this is fastened by a plug, thrust through the cartilage of the nose. Sometimes they have the cartilaginous separation between the nostrils bored for a ring, as large as those ordinarily used in Europe for hanging curtains; and this pendant in the upper lip covers the mouth; so that, in order to eat, it is necessary to raise it. Their faces, hands and arms are tatooed, and covered with hideous scars; their eyelashes and eyes being always painted, or rather dirtied, with some dingy black or blue powder. Their lips are dyed of a deep and dusky blue, as if they had been eating blackberries. Their teeth are jet black; their nails and fingers brick red; their wrists, as well as their ankles, are laden with large metal cinctures, studded with sharp pyramidical knobs and bits of glass. Very ponderous rings are also placed in their ears." Paxton. 21. The rings. Usually worn on the fingers. And nose-jewels. The custom of wearing jewels in the nose has generally prevailed in savage tribes, and was common, and is still, in Eastern nations--among the Arabians, Persians, &c. Sir John Chardin says: "It is the custom in almost all the East for the women to wear rings in their noses, in the left nostril, which is bored low down in the middle. These rings are of gold, and have commonly THE KHIZAM, OR NOSE-JEWEL OF MODERN EGYPT. 22. The articles which are mentioned in the remaining part of this description, are entire articles of apparelthose which had preceded were chiefly single ornaments. The changeable suits of apparel. The word which is used here in the original comes from a verb signifying to pull off-as a shoe; to unclothe one's self; and it here denotes the more costly or valuable garments, which are not worn on common occasions, and which are laid aside in ordinary employments. This does not refer to any particular article of dress, but to splendid and costly articles in general "The Eastern ladies take great pride in having many changes of apparel, because their fashions NEVER alter. Thus the net brocades worn by their grandmothers are equally fashionable for themselves." Roberts. And the mantles. From the verb to cover, or to clothe. The word mantle does not quite express the force of the original. It means the fuller tunic which was worn over the common one, with sleeves, and which reached down to the feet. "A loose robe," says Roberts, "which is gracefully crossed on the bosom." And the wimples. Our word wimple means a hood, or veil, but this is not the meaning of the Hebrew word in this place. It means a wide, broad garment, which could be thrown over the whole-and in which the individual usually slept. 'Probably the fine muslin which is sometimes thrown over the head and body." Roberts. 66 And the crisping-pins. This phrase with us would denote curling-irons. But the Hebrew here denotes a very different article. It means money-bags, or purses. These were often made very large, and were highly ornamented. Comp. 2 Kings v. 23. Frequently they were attached to the girdle. 23. The glasses. There is a great variety of opinion about the expression used here. That the ancient Jews had looking-glasses or mirrors, is manifest from the account in Ex. xxxviii. 8. These mirrors were made of polished plates of brass. The Vulgate and Chaldee understand this of mirrors. The LXX understand by it a thin, transparent covering like gauze-perhaps like silk. The word is derived from the verb to reveal, to make apparent, &c., and applies either to mirrors or to a splendid, shining garment. It is probable that their excessive vanity was evinced by carrying small mirrors in their hands-that they might examine and adjust their dress as might be ne |