small rocky hollow God caused a spring to burst forth, by whose pure water the spirit of Israel's 'mighty champion' was revived.

CHAPTER XVI. VERSE 4.

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

IN THE VALLEY OF SOREK] Hebrew, běnahkal Sorak, 'in the ravine of Sorek.' The margin of A. V. has 'by the brook of Sorek'; and, as before noticed, many of the ravines of Palestine, which are dry in summer, become the beds of deep torrents in the rainy season. The ravine of Sorek was situated near the ravine of Eshcol, both famous for the size and luscious quality of their grapes. The fame of this valley is thought to have given a name to some particular kind of wine, or to a wine of special excellence, as early as the days of Jacob. [See Notes on Gen. xlix. II; Isa. v. 2; Jer. ii. 21.]

CHAPTER XVI. VERSE 25.

And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called

for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

WHEN THEIR HEARTS WERE MERRY] Hebrew, k'yetov libakm, 'when it was good to their hearts'=when their hearts felt light or cheerful. This is an idiomatic expression, quite different from the phrase used of Joseph and his brethren (Gen. xliii. 34), and from the other used of the Shechemites (Judg. ix. 27), and rendered 'merry.' That the mirth of the Philistines, however, on the occasion was stimulated by indulgence in strong drink is highly probable. They had come ‘to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon,' and revelry was the general concomitant of idolatrous rites. The expression here employed is in other places distinctly associated with strong drink and drinking excesses. (See Notes on 1 Sam. xxv. 36; 2 Sam. xiii. 28; Est. i. 10.) Hence Milton may be acquitted of injustice to this Philistian gathering when he puts into the mouth of the messenger the words,—

"The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice

Had filled their hearts with mirth, high cheer, and wine,
When to their sports they turned."

To which the semichorus adds that they were—

"Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine."

CHAPTER XIX. VERSE 19.

Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

BREAD AND WINE] Hebrew, lekhem vě-yayin. The Lxx. has artoi kai oinos, 'loaves and wine'; the V., panem ac vinum, 'bread and wine.'

CHAPTER XXI. VERSES 19—21.

19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

21 And

V. 19. A FEAST OF THE LORD] Hebrew, khag- Yehovah, 'a festival of Jehovah,' a festival in honour of Jehovah. This word feast, as distinguished from mishteh, is derived from khahgag, 'to move in a circle,' and signifies the sacred dance performed at appointed times. [For the use of khahgag in reference to excess, see Note on Psa. cvii. 27.]

V. 20. IN THE VINEYARDS] Hebrew, bak' rahmim, 'in vineyards.'

V. 21. OUT OF THE VINEYARDS] Hebrew, min-hak’rahmim, ‘from the vineyards.' Note the use of min as 'out' or 'from.'

THE BOOK OF RUTH.

CHAPTER II. VERSES 8, 9, 14.

8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 14 And Boaz said unto her, At meal-time come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

V. 9. DRINK OF THAT WHICH THE YOUNG MEN HAVE DRAWN] The Hebrew for 'have drawn' is yishabun, from shahav, 'to draw water.' The Lxx. has kai piesai othen ean hudreuōntai ta paidaria, and drink of that which the youths shall have drawn of water.' The V. is et bibe aquas de quibus et pueri bibunt, ‘and drink the waters from which also the youths drink.' This wealthy Bethlehemite supplied his reapers with water, and probably found his harvest work despatched more quickly, and certainly more soberly, than the farmers of England get theirs executed on cider and beer.

V. 14. IN THE VINEGAR] Hebrew, ba-khometz, 'in the fermented drink '-probably sour wine (vin-aigre = vinegar), similar to the posca served out to the Roman legionaries. The Syriac adds she 'dipped the bread in milk,' and the Arabic has 'she poured milk upon it' (the bread). Dr Gill remarks, "Vinegar was used because of the heat of the season, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra remark, for cooling and refreshment; and such virtues Pliny ascribes to vinegar as being refreshing to the spirits, binding and bracing the nerves, and very corroborating and strengthening; and it is at this day used in Italy, it is said, in harvest-time, when it is hot, where they also used wine mixed with vinegar and water, as Lavater says; and who from a learned physician observes, that reapers instead of wine use vinegar mixed with a great deal of water, which they call 'household wine,' allayed with water; to which if oil and bread be put it makes a cooling meal, good for workmen and travellers in the heat of the sun; and the Targum calls it pottage boiled in vinegar. The Romans had an embamma or sauce made of vinegar, in which they dipped their food, and Theocritus makes mention of vinegar as used by reapers.”

CHAPTER III. VERSE 7.

And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

AND HIS HEART WAS MERRY] Hebrew, 'and he was good as to his heart.' [See Note on Judg. xvi. 25.] It is not said what Boaz ate and drank, but that he might be merry without partaking of intoxicants is well known to those who have made the experiment.

THE FIRST BOOK
BOOK OF SAMUEL.

CHAPTER I. VERSES 9-17.

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk: (now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD :) 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. II And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

V. 9. AFTER THEY HAD DRUNK] The LXX. has meta to phagein autous,' after they had eaten,' adding the words, not in our Hebrew text, ‘and she stood before the Lord.' Codex A and the Complutensian edition give also, ‘and after they had drunk,' and the Complut. ed. omits 'and she stood before the Lord.' The V. has postquam comederat et biberat, after she had eaten and drunk.' So reads the Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel.

V. II. I WILL GIVE HIM UNTO THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE] This was in effect a dedication of her wished-for son to a life-long Nazaritism. The LXX. has a clause not found in the Hebrew text or V. version-kai oinon kai methusma ou pietai, and of wine and strong drink he shall not drink.' Philo quotes this clause, and pointedly refers to Samuel as 'chief of kings and prophets,' and as a Nazarite for life.

V. 13. THEREFORE ELI THOUGHT SHE HAD BEEN DRUNKEN] Hebrew, lěshikorah, 'for a drunken woman.' So the LXX., eis methuousan; and the V., temulentiam (from temetum, the old Latin word for intoxicating wine).