restricted sense in this place. As no Amorites are known to have dwelt in this quarter, Calmet supposes we should read Aramites, or Syrians. Joshua, says he, proceeds from Sidon to Aphek, a city of Syria, between Heliopolis, and Babylon, where was the temple of the Venus of Aphek, and which is spoken of in 1 Kings xx. 26; 2 Kings xiii. 17, as the capital of the kings of Syria. From this, Joshua passes on to the frontiers of the Syrians, towards Gebal, or Gabala, which, according to Ptolemy, was situated in Phoenicia. The conjecture of Calmet is not supported by any authority, either from the ancient versions, or MSS. Houbigant, however, approves of it: the emendation is simple, as it consists in the interchange of only two letters in the same word; "ha-aramey, for " ha-amorey :"—" And the land of the Giblites :" — this people dwelt beyond the precincts of the land of Canaan, on the east of Tyre and Sidon (Ezek. xxvii. 9 ; Ps. lxxxiii. 7)—their capital was named Gebal—“ and all Lebanon; towards the sun-rising, from Baal-gad, under Mount Hermon, unto the entering into Hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill-country, from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim,""—a country north of Lebanon, "and all the Sidonians." (Josh. xiii. 2.)

During the administration of the judges, the Israelites acquired no new territories. They did indeed obtain several splendid victories over the neighbouring nations; but the fruit of these victories was merely the recovery of lost possessions, or the shaking off of an ignominious yoke. Little more can be said of the reign of Saul; for the fruit of the victories which he obtained over the Moabites, and the children of Ammon and Edom, and the king of Zobah, and even his signal victory over the Amalekites, is described merely as his "delivering Israel out of the hand of them that spoiled them." (1 Sam. xiv. 48.) It was reserved for David to subdue that part of the land of promise which

remained unconquered: and that he did completely subdue it, a reference to his victories will prove to us.

The achievements of David commenced among the Philistines, whose champion he slew, and whose armies he routed, before he ascended the throne of Israel, and while he was yet but a stripling. This victory over the Philistines was, at different intervals, followed up by several others, so that they were subdued under him. (1 Chron. xviii) From the Philistines he directed his arms against the Amalekites, and some tribes in their immediate neighbourhood. This, too, he did while a fugitive and an outlaw. In the two engagements which he entered into with this nation, during this period, he seems so completely to have destroyed them, that, on his ascending the throne of Israel, they do not appear to have had an existence. (1 Sam. xxvii. 8; xxx. 1.)

Being securely seated on the throne of Israel, he crossed the Jordan, and, proceeding southward, invaded the territories of the Moabites, and subdued them; so that the Moabites became David's servants and brought gifts." (2 Sam. viii. 2.)

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From the land of Moab, he proceeded northward into Syria, "to recover his border at the river Euphrates," or, as it is expressed in 1 Chron. xviii. 3, "as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates." And it is recorded that "David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah," a city lying somewhere between the tribe of Nephthalim and the Euphrates. "And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, and reserved of them a hundred chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. Then David put garrisons in SyriaDamascus ; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts." (1 Chron. xviii. 4—6.)

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While David was thus pursuing his victories among the Syrians in the north, one of his generals was pursuing his among the Edomites in the south. Moreover, Abishai, the son of Zeruiah," writes the sacred historian, " slew of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand men, and he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David's servants." (1 Chron. xviii. 12, 13; 2 Sam. viii. 13.)

He next carried his arms eastward into the country of the Ammonites, who, having hired to assist them several of the nations of Syria, were enabled to make a vigorous and protracted resistance. Their royal city Rabbah, however, was at length compelled to yield to Joab; and when it could no longer hold out, "David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. And he took the king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought the spoil of the And thus did he unto all the

"the

city in great abundance. cities of the children of Ammon." (2 Sam. xii. 29.) Thus was the whole land of Canaan subdued; and thus was the original grant of God to Abraham, land from the river of Egypt, unto the great river, the river Euphrates," realized for the empire of Solomon, who took possession of the dominions acquired by his father David, is thus described :— "And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt; for he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphzah, even unto Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river," (1 Kings iv. 21, 24 ;) and thus also, in fulfilling all God's will in relation to this grant, David exemplified the description which God himself gave of him; "a man after mine own heart."

LECTURE XIII.

CANAAN.

ITS DIVISION.

IN describing the parts into which the Holy Land was divided, we must contemplate it at different periods of its history; as it appears to have varied in its distribution under the administration of Joshua, the reign of Solomon and of Rehoboam, and in the time of our Lord. Under the administration of Joshua, it was divided into tribes; under the reign of Solomon, there existed another and greater division, a division into provinces ; under the reign of Rehoboam, it was divided into two separate kingdoms; and at the period at which our blessed Lord made his appearance among men, it was divided into provinces.

ITS DIVISION UNDER JOSHUA.

This division was into tribes, or cantons for the several tribes; it was made by the command of God the parts into which it was divided were twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel; and its portions were assigned to each tribe by lot. The tribe of Levi was excepted from the distribution, and instead of a portion of land, there were given to it the priesthood and its emoluments, together with cities for their residence, and pasturage for their cattle, in the

midst of some of the other tribes. The number of allotments, however, was still twelve, the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, having been adopted by Jacob in the stead of their father, and their descendants constituted two distinct tribes. The allotment of each tribe was sub-divided, and, in like manner, distributed among the families of the tribe. Thus, not only did the tribes of Israel dwell separately and by themselves, as in counties, but the families of the tribes, as in hundreds.

The land thus awarded to the tribes of Israel became inalienable. Whatever encumbrances might befall a field, or whatever obligations the owner of it might lay himself under to his creditor, he was released from all claims at the year of jubilee. "Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year," said God by the inspired lawgiver," and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. The land shall not be sold for ever for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me." (Lev. xxv. 10, 23.)

But though an Israelite could not alienate his land from himself and family, he could put another person in possession of it for a certain number of years; reserving to himself and his relations the power of redeeming it, should they ever be in circumstances to do so; and having at all events the sure prospect of a reversion at the period of the jubilee. This transaction amounted merely to the sale of the crops for a certain number of seasons, and would have been equivalent to a lease for that period, but for the circumstance, that the owner, or his nearest kinsman, could at any time resume occupation on his payment of the sum that had been advanced. (Lev. xxv. 24-28.)

The condition on which the Israelites held their