LECT. I. began to move him at times in the camp of Dan," (xiii. 25.) On which we would observe, that in

there is nothing ,וַתָּחֶל רוּחַ יְהוָה לְפַעֲמוֹ the original

corresponding to the words " at times," which intimate that the extraordinary spiritual influence exerted upon him was merely occasional; whereas, the fact taught in the passage is, that, at the period there referred to, he experienced, for the first time, the exertion of such influence. But I advert to this text specially for the purpose of pointing out the peculiar force of the term (y) there employed to describe the manner in which Samson was wrought upon, it being used in this application nowhere else in Scripture, but otherwise signifies to make a stroke or impression on the senses, to move with sudden violence; hence, mentally to agitate, throw into a state of excitement, powerfully to put into a state of emotion. As employed in the present instance, it is evidently expressive of the excitation of the Hebrew youth to feats of chivalrous valour, exceeding any which he or any of his companions could have exhibited if they had been left to the exercise of their ordinary strength, in order that he might be prepared, by the experience which he thus had of supernatural aid, to trust in Jehovah when he should be called to fill situations in which nothing short of that aid could enable him successfully to cope with the enemies of his people. When afterwards honoured to put forth superhuman energy, it is

said, in by nyn, "the Spirit of the LECT. I.

עָלַי רוּחַ יְהוָה,said

Lord came mightily upon him," (ch. xiv. 6;

xv. 14;) which is obviously expressive of the communication of that physical strength by which he became qualified to execute what lay beyond the limits of mortal power.

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In accordance with the use of this and similar phraseology, indicating the powerful impulse of the Spirit, he who sustained the prophetical character is called a "spiritual man," or a man of the Spirit,, i. e. one who is the subject of his supernatural influence; or as it is significantly expressed by the LXX. Tveνμатоpópоs, impelled or borne along by the Spirit. (Hos. ix. 7.) In the same acceptation the term TVеvμаTIKOS spiritual," is used, 1 Cor. xiv. 37. "If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual " where the combination of spiritual with prophet, just as in the passage quoted from Hosea, shows that the reference is not to the ordinary grace of the Holy Spirit, but to the possession or enjoyment of extraordinary Divine influence, which indeed is also apparent from the nature of the Apostle's argument. It is upon this principle that, in the New Testament, those who were, or pretended to be, the subjects of such influence, are termed Tveúpaтa, spirits. (2 Thess. ii. 2; 1 Tim. iv. 1; 1 John iv. 1—3.) The state in which the true prophets or spiritual men were, when acted upon by such influence, is described by the very emphatic phrase, ev πveúμati, to

LECT. I. be in the Spirit, i. e. so to be the subject of his extraordinary operations, that the influence thus exerted constituted as it were the element in which they lived and acted; and, while it lasted, superseded the ascendency of their rational faculties, though, as we shall afterwards have occasion to notice, it did not deprive them of the use of these faculties, as some have preposterously maintained. (Ezek. xxxvii. 1; Matt. xxii. 43; Rev. i. 10.)

Prophecy.

Another term of frequent occurrence in its application to those who were the subjects of extraordinary Divine influence, and which throws considerable light on our subject, is PROPHECY. According to some the Hebrew word s, which we render prophet, is derived from the root, signifying to produce; hence, to bring out, or give utterance in speech others derive it from , to be high, to be raised to intercourse with the Deity; while others again refer it to iz, to come or enter, and explain it to mean one who has been admitted into the secret counsel of Jehovah, or to whom a Divine revelation has come. But whatever resemblance any of these roots may have to the term in question, and how appropriately soever the significations which have been deduced from them may describe certain aspects of the prophetic character, they are destitute of any solid etymological basis. It is now generally agreed among Hebrew scholars, that the word comes from ?,

which is not used in any of the forms of the LECT. I. active voice, but in the Arabic and Ethiopic dialects signifies to speak, announce, indicate; and, in the former, specially to announce the will of God. It is closely related to another verb, v, which differs from it only in a single letter of the same class, the signification of which is to boil up as a spring, to pour forth copiously, to give copious utterance in words. In the passive and reflexive forms the verb obviously conveys the idea of the delivery of a communication by one who is the subject of foreign influence-one who is acted upon by another of whose will he is the interpreter, or organ of revelation.* On comparing all the passages of the Old Testament in which the word occurs, and combining in natural order the different ideas which they most readily suggest, the following appear to be the acceptations in which it is used by the sacred writers.

First, it designates a person to whom God has revealed himself in an extraordinary or miraculous manner, and who, in consequence, is on terms of immediate and intimate intercourse with him-one for whom the Deity has a special

* See Winer's Edit. of Simonis Heb. Lexicon, and Gesenii Lexicon Manuale in vocc. 2 and 22. F. D. Dresde de notione prophetæ in Cod. Sac. Viteb. 1788. J. F. Rehkopff de vate Scripturæ, Helmst. 1788, 4to. Dissertt. de voce No2, Havn. 1741, 4to. H. Witsii Miscell. Sacra. lib. i. cap. 1.

J. C. Kallii

LECT. I. regard, and to whose influence in procuring the Divine favour great importance is to be attached. This acceptation presents itself Gen. xx. 7, the first time the word occurs, where God declares to Abimelech respecting Abraham, 2, "He is a PROPHET, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live.". In the same sense it is used of Moses, Deut. xxxiv. 10-12, and of the patriarchs generally, Ps. cv. 15.

Secondly, it is employed to denote one who announces or publishes the matters which Jehovah has revealed to him, and who, in doing so, speaks under the impulse of Divine inspiration. Such, indeed, is the notion which ordinarily attaches to the term.* Those who in this sense were prophets, not only had revelations of the Divine will made to them, but they were commissioned to communicate them in the name of God to others. The same view is suggested by the application of the name to Aaron, Exod. vii. 1: "And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." He was to receive the messages from Moses, and deliver them to the Egyptian monarch. Hence the term came to be given, by way of eminence, to the order of men raised up under the Jewish economy for the for the purpose of imparting such religious instructions as they had derived immediately from God, and who acted officially in the * Stillingfleet, Orig. Sac. book ii. ch. 5. § 4.