yet the next, Bered, "Hail," suggests the coming down of a storm on that plantation; while Tahath, "Lowness," shews the plantation lying prostrate. If Ephraim's hopes were at first disappointed, it would be no more than what took place when Eve, who called her first-born Cain, was constrained to name her next son Abel. But let us notice that this disappointment took place in the founding of Ephraim's house. It is the Lord's way, in providence, to put a check on our hopes previously to His realising them for us, just in order to shew that all is done by another power than man's, man's extremity being God's opportunity.

It is curious to notice that Isaiah xxxii. 19 contains the sense of these three names in one verse. We have the forest or plantation, the hail, and the city brought low.

Eladah, "God carries away."-and then another Tahath, "Lowness," these continue to shew the depressed state of Ephraim for a time. For these are Ephraim's family; and the occurrence in it of the same name, "Tahath," is similar to the case of David's family, where (see chap. iii. 6-8,) we have two Eliphelets, the predominant idea of their fathers' mind being thus brought out in their children. In David the tone of mind is realisation of his God delivering him; in Ephraim, the tone of mind is depression. Sorrow precedes joy; humiliation is the forerunner of honour.

Ver. 21-23.-" And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle. And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house."

Zabad, "Dowry," is the same name as Zebedee, (see chap. ii. 30,) in the tribe of Judah. It seems that Ephraim began to prosper, the sky cleared for a time, and hope grew bright. Another Shuthelah, "Plantation of greenness," expresses hope revived, as, formerly, a second Tahath had intimated despondency approaching the borders of despair. Then comes Ezer, "Help," (as chap. iv. 17,) and Elead, "God adorns." But, alas! clouds return after the rain. Lo! the men of Gath, native Hivites, (Deut. ii. 23, as Hengstenberg thinks,) before the days of the Philistines, slay these promising sons of Ephraim. As if anticipating after days, when the giant of Gath was to trouble Israel, we find the early possessors of Gath filling Ephraim's house with mourning. It is thought that these younger sons of Ephraim had entered Palestine with their flocks, and had been feeding them on the high grounds not far from Gath, and there had assailed the men of Gath, per

haps thinking (as Moses once did, too early) that God would, of course, give the people into their hands, since this land was theirs by promise, (see Kurtz on the Old Covenant, ii., 178.) It appears to have been an attempt somewhat similar in its character to that attempt of the men of Judah hinted at in chap. ii. 24, and iv. 22.

Ephraim was overwhelmed by this blow. But it drew forth the kindly sympathy of his brethren, and helped thereby, no doubt, to bind the tribes of Israel more and more to each other, and to fan a flame of enmity towards the men of Canaan. Yet how affecting to see thus low him who had the promise, "His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim," (Deut. xxxiii. 17.)

Nor does the gloom soon pass. He has a son born to him; and him he calls Beriah, "In calamity," to keep up the memory of this disaster. "It went evil with his house." See, however, in this instance, how the Lord may bring gladness out of sadness; for the future of this house was soon to become prosperous and happy-as shall be the case with the whole house of Israel in the latter day, after they have passed through their great tribulation.

Ver. 24.-" And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah."

Here is a bright streak of sunshine shooting athwart the gloom. If his sons are taken from him, yet see! his daughter becomes mighty. Sherah, "She that is left," (perhaps a surname given after the previous calamity,) is found on the highlands of Palestine, where her brothers used to feed their flocks; and feeble as she might be supposed to be, being a woman, she becomes a princess among them. She builds the two towns of Beth-horon, afterwards so well known; perhaps aided by some of the other tribes of Israel, who were indignant at the men of Gath. In honour of this service, a town was built called Uzzen-sherah, "The ear of Sherah," in allusion, probably, to its situation resembling an ear.

Thus a woman is the founder of Ephraim's greatness! Is there not, in this fact, a hint as to the future? A virgin must usher in the true greatness of Israel, and bring in the first bright ray of hope for earth.

Ver. 25-27.-" And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son, Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Non his son, Jehoshua his son."

It is generally agreed that, in this list, we have the stream that flowed from Beriah's fountain; these are his successive

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descendants, ending in the great and renowned Joshua, son of Nun. Rephah is "Riches;" Resheph, "Flame of lightning ;" Telah, "Bursting;" Tahan, "Encampment;" Laadan, " Put in order," (Arabic root, and see chap. iv. 21, Laadah;) Ammihud, (see Numb. i. 10,) " People of honour; " Elishama, " God will hear;" Non, "A sprout," or the shooting forth of a numerous posterity, (Gesen says "fish.") Are not these the beginnings of the "ten thousands of Ephraim?" And then Jehoshua, "Jehovah the Saviour," finishes the line, leaving a name ever to be remembered,—a name, too, significant of one yet to come, who should as far excel his type as the real Lamb of God excelled the type presented on the altar.

At this name the genealogist stands still. It is a name of mighty import; for it is that same name of which the Church for ever sings, the name of Jesus.

POSSESSIONS OF MANASSEH AND EPHRAIM.

Ver. 28, 29." And their possessions and habitations were Beth-el and the towns thereof; and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof: And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Bethshean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel." We found it noticed, in chap. v. 1, that the birthright, i.e., specially the double portion, was Joseph's. Perhaps this is the reason why our attention is here called to the possessions of Manasseh and Ephraim, " children of Joseph, son of Israel." The hints here given are sufficient to indicate the fact that Joseph's sons did get the double portion.

Of Naaran or Naarath we know only the name. The Gaza mentioned (ver. 28) should have been rendered Adgaza, the name of another unknown town, that seems to signify "Witness of strength," a good name for a fortress. The other places are well known. That town, Gezer, was one they could not take at first, (Josh. xvi. 10;) but Ephraim waxed stronger and stronger; all foretold of him was fulfilled; and he and Manasseh enjoyed the blessing pronounced by Moses in Deut. xxxiii. 13-17.

THE TRIBE OF ASHER.

Ver. 30.-"The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister."

Imnah, "Prosperity," (from not the same as Imna, ver. 35,)—Isuah, "Even,"-Ishuai, "Raised up by Jehovah," are indicative of Asher's feeling himself blessed and prospered. But when we come to the name Beriah, (see ver. 23,) is there not a reverse? We rather think the tone of Asher's mind was all along unlike his nephew, Ephraim; and that,

when he called one of his sons by this name, it was done in kindly sympathy, even as seems to have been the case with Benjamin, also, (chap. viii. 13,) though the latter had good reason in his own case for his sympathy.

We might, further, have been ready to point to the name Serah, a daughter of Asher, as given from a similar motive. But in the Hebrew the words are far from being the same. The one in ver. 24 is 7, whereas here the word is

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signifying "Abundance." Asher so prospered that he gave his daughter a name that expressed his happy state. Perhaps we may, in these names, trace something of the fulfilment of Deut. xxxiii. 24,-"Let Asher be blessed, Da," more than the other sons of Israel, in some respects.

Ver. 31-4.-" And the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzavith. And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister. And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet. And the sons of Shamer; Ahi, and Robgah, Jehubbah, and Aram."

We have here "The binder," Heber; and "God is my king," Malchiel; and "Son of lustre," Birzavith. Then we have "The deliverer," Japhlet; "The keeper," Shomer; and the "Signet-bearer," Hotham. But let us not overlook Shua, "The wealthy one," their sister, whose name is in meaning so like Serah, (ver. 36,) the sister of Beriah, the grandfather of Shua. The notice taken of these females, and the honour put on them by such significant names, discover in how different a position females stood in Israel from that they occupied in other nations. Woman here appears honoured-peculiarly honoured. Now, all this is to be attributed to the fact that Jehovah had promised to Israel the Woman's Seed, and was educating His peculiar people for the reception of that other phecy-"A virgin shall bear a son," and this Son “Immanuel.” Woman, who brought in death, in due time brings in life.

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Pasach, "One who cuts in pieces; " Bimhal," Son of circumcision;" Ashvath, (y,) "Burnished;" Ahi, “Brotherly;" Rohgah, (7) "Crying out;" are names that speak of various scenes. Jehubbah, "Hidden one," is a man's name with a female termination, like what we noticed in chap. i. 51. It may have been in a time of peril that the child was born,a time that resembled the days of Moses' infancy. Aram, Height," is an old name revived, (see chap. i. 17.)

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Ver. 35-37.-"And the sons of his brother Helem; Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal. The sons of Zophah; Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah, Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera."

Helem, "The hammer," (the "malleus hæreticorum," it

may be,) seems to be the same as Hotham, ver. 32. His eldest son was Zophah, "The cruse," perhaps on account of some memorable providence in the family. Imna, "One who is restrained;" Shelesh, "A chief," (TPIOTάTNS); Amal, "Toil;" Suah, "A shoot; " Harnepher, "One that pants;" Shual, "A fox;" Beri, "One connected with the well," (Fontanus ;) Imrah, "Stubborn," or bitter; are indicative of a certain playfulness, and tendency to caricature, on the part of their father. The others are more honourable in their signification. Bezer, "Golden one;" Hod, "Honour;" Shamma, "Renown; Shilshah, "Captain," (like his brother, Shelesh;) Ithran, "Eminence;" Beera, "Cleared up."

What a store of incidents condensed in these names! What a volume of domestic events might be written were the occurrences known to which they bear allusion! But they have passed away, as we are passing now. We may, however, say of our wanderings and tears, even as of our most trivial joys, and our quiet domestic hours, "Are they not in Thy book?" These names are like an index to the book.

Ver. 38, 39.-" And the sons of Jether; Jephunneh, and Fispah, and Ara. And the sons of Ulla; Arah, and Haniel, and Rezia."

This Jether may be Ithran of ver. 37, for the words signify the same. For the name Jepthunneh, see iv. 15. Pispah is "Dispersion;" and Ara, "Lion-like;" both significant of a warlike mind. But who was Ulla? Probably another son of Jether, introduced to our notice here just as Jabez is in chap. iv. 9. His name means, "One that bears the yoke; and his son's name, Arah, (,) "Wanderer," or "Traveller;" Haniel is "God is gracious;" and Rezia is "Delight," or well-pleasedness. And so this genealogy ends with names that breathe fragrance, like Asher's myrtle-trees.

Ver. 40.-"All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father's house, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men."

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Choice," ", severed from others, and the unfitting removed, like Gideon's army. This is the idea; a high encomium on Asher's men, as they were numbered in David's days, (ver. 2.) Perhaps we may say, that this view of Asher is brought forward here all the more readily, inasmuch as it might present a lesson to the returned remnant in Ezra's days, teaching them not to sink down into inglorious sloth, when once more in the land of milk and honey. We like Patrick's remark on this verse, though generally he is on these chapters very meagre. He says here," Though they lived in a rich and delicious country, abounding with wine, and oil, and other.