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instance before us shows the contrary; and besides, greaves were worn by the Trojans as well as the Greeks. Thus when Paris was arming for the combat with Menelaus,—

"His legs he first in polish'd greaves enclosed,
With silver studs secured."

We learn from this, that in arming, the greaves were first put on. The use of greaves was not confined to warriors but they were worn by others whose occupations required a defence against thorns. Thus, when Laertes is described as collecting thorns for a fence, it is said,

"Leathern were his greaves,

Thong-tied, and also patch'd-a frail defence
Against sharp thorns."

10. “Give me a man, that we may fight together.”—Single combats at the head of armies are of continual recurrence in the history and poems of ancient times; and in many of these instances it was a condition, as in the one before us, that the result of such combat should determine the national quarrel. A remarkable example of this is the combat between Paris and Menelaus, as described by Homer; to which, and other similar instances, we refrain from particularly adverting, in order to make room for the following striking illustration, drawn from the existing practices of the Bedouin Arabs, as described by Burckhardt (Notes on the Bedouins,' p. 174): -" When two hostile parties of Bedouin cavalry meet, and perceive from afar that they are equal in point of numbers, they halt opposite to each other, out of the reach of musket-shot; and the battle begins by skirmishes between two men. A horseman leaves his party, and gallops off towards the enemy, exclaiming, O horsemen, O horsemen, let such a one meet me!' If the adversary for whom he calls be present, and not afraid to meet him in combat, he gallops forwards; if absent, his friends reply that he is not amongst them. The challenged horseman, in his turn, exclaims, And you, upon the gray mare, who ale you? The other answers, 'I am *** the son of ***. Having thus become acquainted with each other, they legin to fight; none of the bystanders join in the combat, to do so would be reckoned a treacherous action; but if one of the combatants should turn back and fly towards his friends, the latter hasten to his assistance and drive back the pursuer, who is in turn protected by his friends. After several of these partial combats between the best men of both parties, the whole corps join in promiscuous combat....Should a horseman not be inclined to accept the challenge of an adversay, but choose to remain among the ranks of his friends, the challenger laughs at him with taunts and reproaches, and makes it known as a boast during the rest of his life, that such a one *** would not venture to meet such a one *** in battle."

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This process is precisely the same as prevailed in the ancient times of Arabia, and which is continually exhibited in the old heroic story of Antar. From thence it seems, however, that the challenger did not always call out the particular person whom he wished to combat; but, like the Philistine, defied any that would come against him. If the champon's reputation or appearance made any warrior unwilling to come forward from the adverse party, he paraded before them, boasting in a loud voice of his own exploits, recapitulating the wrongs they had committed, heaping insults and abuse upon them, and perhaps declaring that he was the author of some particular act of revenge or cruelty, against their tribe or some of its most esteemed members. In the accounts of the numberless combats in which Antar and Chers were engaged, we generally find this last declaration the most effective in calling forth an adversary. When they stand before each other, they generally each make a speech, or rather recite extemporary verses, before they began, full of vauntings, threatenings and abusiveness, as before. A few short extracts from these speeches will show the analogy between them and those of Goliath. Thus, in one of Antar's battles with the tribe of Fazarah, Hassein toes forward, and in his challenge of Antar says, "O my mother, sleep and be satisfied, and rejoice; this day will I Treve my thirst with Antar. When thou seest the birds mangle his carcase under the dust, then extol and thank me. The slave! This day I will leave him on the face of the earth, where he shall lie dead on the barren waste. I will make him taste thrusts from my spear-head, and I will smite him with my bright and unfailing scimitar. I will leave the beasts to run at him, and prowl around him on the wings of the turbid night. I will wipe out my shame with the sword and spear; and I will wreak my vengeance on the swarthy slave." On a subsequent day of the same engagemeat. Antar himself, in responding to the challenge of Mocri-ul-wahsh, says, among other things, "Hey! O Mocri-ulwalsh, return thee home before thou remainest embowelled: I will soon relieve the Arabs from thee; and truly Maseeka" (the beloved of the other)"shall be my wife. I will plunder her property, and slay her father, and I will leave her abode a desert with my sword." The other retorts with interest: "Soon will I slay Antar with the sword of conquest, and I will leave him dead on the sand. I will seize Ibla" (Antar's beloved), "and return home, and she shall Serve my wife as her mistress. I will take numerous camels, and will, in happy mood, return towards Maseeka. - I am ever the warrior of warriors, and this day will I consummate my glory." The terms of abuse and insult in these passages are quite gentle compared with others that might be cited.

15. "David went and returned from Saul.”—It will be seen that this corroborates the view stated under ch. xvi. 15; as does indeed the whole tone of the history here given. A considerable number of modern Biblical crities, such as Keanicott, Michaelis, Dathe, Houbigant, Boothroyd, &c., consider that the order of the history is rightly given; but that the whole passage, from verse 12 to 31 inclusive, is an interpolation, by which the coherency of the narrative is disturbed. The passage is not in the Vatican copy of the Septuagint; nor was it in the Alexandrian copy, till inserted by Origen. (See Boothroyd's note in this place.)

25. Make his father's house free in Israel.”—This is understood to mean that the family should be exempted from all the taxes, impositions, and services which were incumbent on the great body of the Israelites.

34. “A lion and a bear came.”—Not both at once, but at different times. The context shows this; and besides, the livn and the bear never seek prey together. Concerning lions, and the character of such an exploit as that of destroying one, see the notes on Judges xiv. David applies the same narrative to each respectively. When he speaks of wing by the beard, the expression can only apply to the lion, not to the bear; the word however rendered "beard" sometimes denotes the chin, that is, the part on which the beard grows; so that the meaning is that David seized the Lon by the beard, and the bear by the chin or lower jaw. There are several references to the bear in the Scriptures, which show that it was rather common and dangerous in that country, and was particularly injurious to the flocks The bear thus mentioned must always be understood as the brown bear, to which almost every climate is congenial, m the shores of the Frozen Ocean to the burning wastes of Libya and Numidia; whilst the white and black bears. being confined to more northern latitudes, must have been unknown to the inhabitants of Palestine. The brown bear is still found in different parts of Western Asia; but is no where common. It even continues to occur in the wilder

nesses bordering on Palestine, but instances have now become exceedingly rare of a bear having been met with in the country itself.

The account which David gives clearly illustrates the danger attending pastoral occupations in times and countries where the beasts of prey have not altogether given place to man. The dangers of such occupations, and the courage and presence of mind which they required, account for the honourable character which they bore in the early history of nations. A proprietor of flocks and herds could not always feel safe, in intrusting so hazardous a charge to the zeal of hired servants, or even of slaves; and therefore it came to pass that they frequently committed them to the care of their sons; and the sons even of the most considerable persons were not thought above the performance of this duty. But when beasts of prey were extirpated in the progress of civilization, this employment, in ceasing to be dangerous, lost its honourable distinctions, and gradually sunk to the level of other rural occupations.

The manner in which David records his exploits shows, as we may readily suppose, that it is no common circumstance for a shepherd to deliver his flock from a lion o. a bear. Indeed, for even an armed man to slay a lion, was considered a memorable circumstance in the history of the most famous ancient heroes. We have often been reminded of this first exploit of David by the first feat of the Arabian hero Antar, which occurred while he also was tending his father's flocks. But there is this serious difference, that David ascribes the glory to God, while Antar exults in the prowess of his own arm. The story runs: "He used to employ himself in tending the flocks, and as he conducted them, he wandered about the deserts and plains, and loved solitude and retirement... One day he was thus wandering over the deserts with the flocks, and when the sun was burning hot he left his people, and climbed up a tree and took shelter from the heat, whilst the flocks grazed and he watched them; when, lo! a wolf started from behind the trees, and dispersed them. But Antar, seeing how the animal had dispersed the herds, he descended, and ran after him till he overtook him, and struck him with his staff; he made the oil of his brains fly out from between his ears, and slew him ; he then cut off his head and his legs, and returned growling like an angry lion... He put the head and legs into his scrip; and leaving the carcase, he returned to the flocks." David's exploits were more heroic; but Antar is said at this time to have been only ten years of age. It is observable that this Arabian shepherd, like David, had a scrip with him, and also a staff, sueh, perhaps, as that which offended the giant, when he said, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff?"

CHAPTER XVIII.

1 Jonathan loveth David. 5 Saul envieth his praise, 10 seeketh to kill him in his fury, 12 feareth him for his good success, 17 offereth him his daughters for a snure. 22 David persuaded to be the king's son in law, giveth two hundred foreskins of the Philistines for Michal's dowry. 28 Saul's hatred, and David's glory increaseth.

AND it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's

house.

3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

5 ¶ And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and 'behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and

with instruments of musick.

7 And the women answered one another
1 Or, prospered.
Or, Philistines.

as they played, and said, 'Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying 'displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

10 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.

11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

14 And David 'behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.

15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of

him.

16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, 4 Chap. 21. 11, and 29. 5. Ecclus. 47. 6.

Heb. three-stringed instruments.
ob, was evil in his eyes. • Or, prospered.

because he went out and came in before them.

17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou 'valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?

19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David and they told Saul, and the thing 'pleased him.

21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.

son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, 'On this manner spake David.

25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not "expired.

27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

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30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much "set by.

23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's 7 Heb. a son of valour. 8 Heb. was right in his eyes. 9 Heb. According to these words. 10 Heb. fulfilled. 11 Heb. precious.

Verse 4. "Gave it to David.”—See the notes on Gen. xli. 42, and xlv. 22., where we have mentioned the eastern method of doing persons honour by presenting them with robes. We have now to add, that the honour thus conferred becomes infinitely more honourable when a king or prince bestows on the favoured person a dress or robe which has been worn by himself. This has always been the highest and most coveted honour in the East, and is so at this day. In the book of Esther, the king of Persia, to confer on Mordecai the highest distinction which a subject could receive, directed him to be invested with the royal apparel "which the king useth to wear;" and, in the same country, the same usage remains unaltered. Mr. Morier relates a rather amusing illustration. When the Russian and Persian plenipotentiaries were concluding a treaty of peace in 1813, the former had the names of so many orders of knighthood after his own in the preamble, that the Persian ambassador, who had no such honours, "at first was at a loss how to make himself equal in personal distinctions to the other negotiator; but recollecting that, previous to his departure, his sovereign had honoured him with a present of one of his own swords, and of a dagger set with precious stones, to wear which is a peculiar distinction in Persia, and, besides, had clothed him with one of his own shawl-robes, a distinction of still greater value, he therefore designated himself in the preamble of the treaty as endowed with the special gifts of the monarch, lord of the dagger set in jewels, of the sword adorned with gems, and of the shawl-coat already worn." (Second Journey,' p. 299.) This illustration is very complete, since it shows the distinction not only of wearing robes, but arms which had been used by the king; and with both his arms and robes the king's son honours David in the instance before us.

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And when, as in the present case, a distinguished person takes his own robes or weapons immediately from his own person, and bestows them on another, it is impossible that a higher mark of consideration should be given, it being regarded not as a mark of favour only, but also of attachment. It is therefore a very rare honour; as Oriental princes, however profuse in their bestowal of marks of consideration, are chary of giving indications of attachment. It is therefore difficult to find instances of this rare favour. One occurs in D'Herbelot's Bibliothèque Orientale,' art. Medinah. He says, that when the sultan Selim I. arrived at Aleppo, after he had defeated Cansou Gauri, the Mameluke sultan of Egypt, and assisted for the first time at public prayers in that city, the imaum concluded prayers with the words,— "God preserve sultan Selim, the servant and minister of the holy cities of Mecca and Medinah." The sultan was so pleased with this title that he took off his pelisse and gave it to the imaum. He assumed the phrase as one of his titles, and his successors have continued to bear it in their quality of sultans of Egypt.

In Tavernier's Travels there is a striking history of a lad whom the great Shah Abbas, when out hunting in the mountains, found playing on a pipe as he tended a flock of goats. Struck by the intelligence of his answers, the king

took him under his protection, and after employing him in various capacities, ultimately made him nazar, or lordsteward of the household. When the king died, the ear of his successor was poisoned with insinuations against the integrity of the nazar, as if he had enriched himself at the expense of the treasures entrusted to him. But, on opening the room in which the nazar's dishonest wealth was supposed to be deposited, nothing was found but his shepherd's weeds and sheep-hook, his pipe, his water-bottle, and the scrip in which he used to put his victuals-all hung up against the wall. The nazar, observing the king's astonishment, said, "When the great Shah Abbas found me in the mountains, keeping goats, these were all my possessions; and he took nothing from me. All else, called mine, I owe to his and your bounty, and you may justly reclaim it; but allow me to retain that which belongs to my original condition, to which I shall now cheerfully return, since I no longer enjoy your confidence." The king, touched with admiration and remorse, instantly caused himself to be disarrayed of his outer robes, and gave them to the nazar; "which," as Tavernier remarks, "is the greatest honour that a king of Persia can bestow upon a subject." This little anecdote illustrates several points in the early history of David.

25. "Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines."-The father, as we have already shown, expecting the customary consideration for parting with his daughter, an opportunity is afforded him of getting rid of an obnoxious person by proposing that the price of the girl's hand shall consist in the results of some difficult and dangerous undertaking, in which there is every probability that the adventurer will perish. Instances of this meet us continually in the poems and romances of the East; and are not unknown in such of our own as refer to the ages and describe the manners of chivalry. The Bedouin story of Antar-that most perfect picture of early Oriental manners-affords several illustrations of this practice. In one of these a plot is laid between Antar's rival and the father of his beloved Ibla for his destruction. It is proposed by the former, who thus states it to the father, by whom Antar is bitterly hated, and who eagerly adopts the expedient suggested. "Pretend to be good friends with Antar; appear very kind to him, and do not prevent his entering your tents. Soothe him with gentle words, and when he comes to you, ask him about the dower of Ibla: then he will say, What do you wish?' tell him you only desire a thousand Asafeer camels" (a particular species of camel, much valued for riding), "that your daughter may pride herself in them above the high and low. Know then, Malik, that these camels are in the possession of Monzar, son of Massema, the king of the Arabs, and the lieutenant of Nushirvan; and I know that Antar, in the greatness of his courage, will go in search of them among the tribe of Shiban, and he will expose his life to danger and death, and you will never see him again." Antar, like David, readily undertook the dangerous service; and, like him, succeeded in the enterprise which was designed to ensure his destruction.

CHAPTER XIX.

1 Jonathan discloses his father's purpose to kill David. 4 He persuadeth his father to reconciliation. 8 By reason of David's good success in a new war, Saul's malicious rage breaketh out against him. 12 Michal devciveth her father with an image in David's bed. 18 David cometh to Samuel in Naioth. 20 Saul's messen

gers sent to take David, 22 and Saul himself, prophesu.

AND Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. 2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:

3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

4¶ And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to theeward very good:

5 For he did put his 'life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore

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Judges 9. 17, and 12.3. Chap. 28. 21. Psal 119. 109.

then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

6 Ånd Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.

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7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as 'in times past.

8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.

9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

11 Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him. saying, If thou save not thy life to night, te morrow thou shalt be slain.

12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goais'

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And when Saul sent messengers to David, she said, He is sick.

5 And Saul sent the messengers again ee David, saying, Bring him up to me le bed, that I may slay him.

And when the messengers were come behold, there was an image in the bed, a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster. 'And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast deceived me so, and sent away mine ny, that he is escaped? And Michal aned Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; should I kill thee?

So David fled, and escaped, and eto Samuel to Ramah, and told him all Saul had done to him. And he and uel went and dwelt in Naioth.

▸ And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, id is at Naioth in Ramah.

And Saul sent messengers to take id: and when they saw the company of

Heb. fell.

the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.

23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, 'Is Saul also among the prophets?

Chap. 10. 11.

se 13. Michal took an image," &c.—In the original this is a teraphim; and the intention, in placing it in the as evidently to make an appearance as if a human being were lying there. Of teraphim we have already spoken. se images appear to have been objectionable, it has occasioned some surprise that so pious a man as David allowed remain in his house. In fact, it is difficult to understand distinctly what the ideas connected with these images and it is very probable that the term was applied to different kinds of images, some of which were less objec`le than others. Abarbenel and other Rabbins specify different sorts of teraphim, besides those used idolatrously. say that one sort was a kind of talisman, designed to draw down the favourable influences of the heavenly bodies; er served as a sort of dial, to make known the time of the day; and a third was in the similitude of some living and women had such figures of their husbands, that they might have their presence, as it were, continually hem. The last of these explanations is exceedingly doubtful. We cannot help thinking that there was something in these teraphim, and that they formed a superstition to which women seem to have been particularly addicted. ed not blame David, however. The image was not produced till he had left the place; and very probably he knew at there was such a thing in the house. It must be constantly recollected that men and women live in separate ents, and are not much in each other's company; so that a husband has very little cognizance of what is kept or in the harem. And, whatever may have been the case in David's time, it is certainly true now, that one who s a king's daughter for his wife is very differently circumstanced from all other husbands. The princess assumes tire control of the domestic establishment; in which the husband is seldom considered in much other light than f a favoured (and not always favoured) upper seivant. He is usually most submissive to her; and rarely ven on the smallest exertion of that authority which commonly belongs to husbands in the East.

ut a pillow of goats hair for a bolster, and covered it with a cloth."-It is difficult to understand this. The obvious retation of the reading in our version would be, that in those early times it was not usual for any but sick persons bolsters or pillows to support the head when in bed; and that therefore Michal put one stuffed with goats'nder the head of the teraphim, to confirm the impression she wished to convey, that David lay there sick. She would cover the head and bolster with a cloth, it being usual in the East for people to cover their heads while in This explanation seems to us sufficiently satisfactory. It will be observed, however, that the word hair is not original, and that the word rendered "pillow" (, cebir) is subject to various interpretations. The Septuand Josephus say that it was a goat's liver; the use of which, as explained by the latter, was, that the liver of a had the property of motion for some time after being taken from the animal, and therefore gave a motion to the lothes, which was necessary to convey the impression that a living person lay in the bed. But the Targum says a goat-skin bottle: if so, it was probably inflated with air-a fact which would impair any claims to originality the recent invention of air-pillows may have established. Others think that the goats'-hair was put about the of the image, to look like human hair; and, lastly, some suppose that the article in question was a net or curtain its'-hair used, as a mosquito curtain, for the purpose of keeping away troublesome insects.

"Bring him up to me in the bed."-It will be recollected that the beds commonly in use were probably, as now, y a padded quilt, doubled, for a mattress, and another, single, for a covering. There cannot, therefore, be a more nient way of transporting a sick person, than to wrap him up in his bed and carry him away. In fact, this is ay in which we have usually seen sick persons, in Western Asia, carried from one place to another, when circums rendered it necessary to remove them. This also explains how it happened that the sick were brought to Chris' ir beds, to be healed.

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Lay down naked all that day.”—Reland has an excellent note on this subject, which we cannot refrain from ig, with slight alteration, as given by Whiston in his translation of Josephus. "The word naked does not always y entirely naked, but sometimes means without men's usual armour, or without their usual robes or upper garments;

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