to shew something of the might of the "Lion of the tribe of Judah." Jair subdues his enemies, and can point to sixty cities as monuments of his victory.

And let it be noticed as a peculiarity of Hebrew genealogy, he who marries the heiress does not assume her name, as with us, but vice versa, she sinks out of sight, and he becomes the son of her father. Hezron became Machir's son, and from him got three-and-twenty cities as part of his father, Machir's, inheritance. Does not this illustrate Jer. xxxiii. 16, "She shall be called The Lord our righteousness?"

Ver. 24.-" And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-Ephratah, then Abiah, Hezron's wife, bare him Ashhur () the father of Tekoa.”

There was a woman named Abiah-" Jehovah is my father" -whom, from her peculiar name, we might conjecture to have been left fatherless when her mother bare her; this woman was married to Hezron in his old age, but whether before or after the death of his former wife is not recorded. Soon after his marriage with Abiah, Hezron died, while residing at the town. of which his son Caleb had taken possession, and to which he gave a new name, composed of his own and his wife's, " CalebEphratah"-a felicitous combination, for it speaks of "basketstore abundance."

Abiah's son, born after his father's death, receives the significant appellation, "Ashhur," that is, "black," or "dark," because of the melancholy circumstances of his birth. This man, however, has a son, Tekoa, "pitcher of tents," or "sounder of the trumpet," who emulates his uncle Caleb, and founds or rebuilds the town of Tekoah. Messiah's tribe, in spite of many a cloud in its sky, goes on; and among its branches we find the builders and repairers of waste cities, captured no doubt in Messiah Himself was yet to appear, the great Restorer of waste places, He who shall build up ruined Zion.

war.

Ver. 25, 26." And the sons of Jerahmeel, the first-born of Hezron, were, Ram the first-born, and Bunah, and Orem, (and) Ozen, and Ahijah. Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam."

It is only now we are told of the descendants of Hezron's first-born, Jerahmeel-the Lord displaying sovereignty in thus, from time to time, making the first last, giving the higher place to some other than to him whom man expected to find on the pinnacle. This is the sovereignty which, by doing such acts, claims a right to itself to do at any time deeds of mercy to the most unlikely and undeserving; and it is fit that this sovereignty should often shine forth in Messiah's tribe.

"and"

Jerahmeel's son, Ram (called after his uncle, ver. 9, a thing by no means very common in Israel), indicates his father's hope and desire in his name, "height;" even as do Bunah, "understanding," Oren, "the pine or mountain ash,” and Ozem, "strong." It is generally thought that Ahijah was a brother to these, his name being placed by itself (for is not in the Hebrew) for some reason unknown to us. Jehovah is my brother," is the signification. These names of Jerahmeel's sons speak of high thoughts, and expectations, and aims, befitting the tribe of Judah. Elsewhere, we find him giving name to a region of the tribe (1 Sam. xxvii. 10).

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His other wife, Atarah, “crown,” may have been famous; at any rate, her name comes in well among the members of royal Judah. Her son, Onam, "the strong," bears the name of one of Esau's descendants (chap. i. 40). Is it not, q. d., Judah will not leave Esau to claim "strength" to themselves; Judah's sons must be mightier than Esau's?

Ver. 27.-" And the sons of Ram, the first-born of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.”

The two first of these signify, "stronghold," and " right hand,"-appropriate appellations in the tribe that is to be preeminent. But Eker is a word that is less easy to understand. It is "shoot," or "root"-used at times of one who settled in land, and became "root" of a family there. See Lev. xxv. 47. Was this his father's hope concerning him? Did Ram cherish the expectation that Eker would found some remarkable family? Or had he his eye on the Messiah yet to come, when he named his sons? Was he reminding them that they needed a stronghold, and one who would be a right hand, and who would be the root of an undecaying race?

Ver. 28.-" And the sons of Onam were Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai, Nadab, and Abishur."

Shammai is "renowned," Jada is "well-known;" Nadab is "princely," and Abishur is "father of song" (Furst), or "father of the (fortified) wall." All these speak something of ambition; they breathe aspirations after fame and distinction. It is Messiah alone who can truly appropriate them all.

Ver. 29.-"And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid.”

There are not a few noted women in this tribe, more indeed than in any of the others. We have met with Zeruiah and Abigail (ver. 16); with Azubah or Jerioth (ver. 18); with Ephrath (ver. 19); with the daughter of Machir (ver. 21); with Abiah, (ver. 24); with Atarah (ver. 26). We are yet to

meet with others (ver. 34, and ver. 48, 49); and here we have Abihail; and all these, exclusive of Rahab, Ruth, Achsah, and a few other female names elsewhere occurring. Thus Messiah's tribe is one in which woman is not unnoticed, but is set on high. This Abihail means, "bright star is my father" (from "the morning star," though a few MSS. read "worth") fit name for one whose husband's name pointed to a father of might. Her son's names were given for reasons sufficiently suggestive: Ahban, "brotherly, or "amiable;" Molid, "a begetter." She sought for her home peace and prosperity. Ver. 30, 31.-"And the sons of Nadab, Seled and Appaim; but Seled died without children. And the sons of Appaim, Ishi. And the sons of Ishi, Sheshan. And the sons of Sheshan, Ahlai."

Seled is "exultation," as if the parents' heart leapt for joy at his birth. But, such is human hope! this son died childless, probably died in early life. His brother, Appaim, may have been so called on the death of Seled, q.d., "double portion" (see DEN, 1 Sam. i. 5), as being one who must in his own person do for them what they expected two sons to have performed. It is not usual in Judah to find childless households; but even Judah must learn, by an occasional instance, that the Lord is sovereign.

Appaim's son is Ishi," my salvation;" and his son is named Sheshan "the lily" (like the Greek Narcissus, says Furst), or "joyful." It would seem that sovereignty was purposed to be manifested by the peculiarity of some generations of his family, viz., one son only to continue the line of Nadab, of Appaim, of Ishi; and we shall soon see the same in the line of Sheshan also, with an additional feature of a singular nature.

Sheshan's son is called Ahlai, "well-adorned." Gesenius suggests the name may be rendered, "O that!" while a third suggestion is that it signifies, "brother to me." We shall find at ver. 34 that this " Ahlai" is an adopted son, who seems to have got this other name on occasion of his entering Sheshan's family. Sheshan may have given the new name in allusion to his hope that his family might thus be continued in Israel, if we take either of the two latter etymologies: and if we adopt the first, (which is as natural as any), the intention of the name is to set forth the excellent qualities of Jarha (ver. 34), who became son to Sheshan under this appellation.

Meanwhile, let us read on.

Ver. 32, 33.-"And the sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, Jether and Jonathan; and Jether died without children. And the sons of Jonathan, Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel."

Here is a case similar to ver. 30. Jada has a son, who dies

childless, and probably early, viz., Jether, "excellency," so named in the pride of his father's heart. But as Seth was given, and acknowledged as given, by the Lord instead of Abel, so Jonathan's name, "gift of Jehovah," indicates that his father saw the hand of Him who gave and who took away. This Jonathan called his sons Peleth, "swiftness," or "escape by fleeing," and Zaza, moving to and fro," for reasons not obvious to us, but which seem to speak of stirring events that made the family wander from their homes.

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Such is Jerahmeel's posterity. But we are not done with his posterity yet. The genealogy returns to one of his race, Sheshan, mentioned ver. 31, in order to note a very singular occurrence in that family-an occurrence that may from the first have had in it a sort of typical import, even as Hagar and Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's tent had a hidden meaning. Ver. 34, 35.-" Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai."

Judah's tribe, we have seen, has in it persons who came from Canaan, from Moab, from Ishmael, as well as from other tribes of Israel. And now here is a man of Egypt received into it, and made a son of Abraham. And in receiving him we find a shadowing forth of a peculiarity to be shewn in Messiah's family, viz., adoption. It is the only tribe in which an instance of adoption occurs.

In ver. 34, Sheshan is declared to have "no sons; for the son, Ahlai, in ver. 31, is this same Jarha, the Egyptian, adopted as a son. Jarha is an Eliezer in Sheshan's house. Sheshan can say truly (Gen. xv. 3), "One born in my house is mine heir; for I go childless!" Perhaps, taking the hint from these words of Abraham, he resolves to marry his daughter to this Egyptian, no doubt a proselyte and worshipper of Jehovah. In this manner, this estimable steward of his house becomes his son-in-law, and in the eye of law, as it stood in Israel, is his very son—so truly so, that his descendants are as really Judah's sons as if he had himself descended from Judah. And on this occasion his name may have been changed * from the Egyptian Jarha (a foreign word, unknown to us) to the other name, Ahlai, expressive of Sheshan's hopes and anticipations. And is it not thus our Lord adopts us into His family? When we are strangers and foreigners He takes us to Himself, and makes us truly His sons-no more servants; aye, and sons of a tribe that can boast of a King.

* As was usual when one entered on a new relationship, or upon the duties of a new office. See Gen. xvii. 5, 15, xxxii. 28, xxxv. 10, xli. 45, &c.

In after times an Egyptian aided David (2 Sam. xix. 13), and Christ found refuge in Egypt. So let us not overlook the honour here put upon Egypt. It is in accordance with Deut. xxiii. 8, and the prophetic blessing in Isaiah xix. 24, 25. An Egyptian is adopted into the tribe of Messiah who is to bless Egypt in the latter day.

Attai, "(born) in due season," sufficiently indicates the thoughts that passed in the minds of all concerned in this adoption, when they saw that an heir was born to Sheshan, after so much disappointment. And this man's case may suggest to us an illustration* of our Lord's genealogies in Matthew and Luke. We saw at ver. 23 that the female sunk her name, though an heiress, in the name of her husband, he becoming so identified with her as to be son of her father. Attai, the heir of Sheshan's house, " born in due season," may remind us of Him "born in fulness of time," who was Mary's son, and yet Joseph's by law of Hebrew genealogy. It is not "Attai, son of the daughter of Sheshan," but "Attai, son of Ahlai," who was the husband of that daughter. So in the genealogies of our Lord. Joseph is reckoned by Luke, "son of Heli," who was Mary's father. Joseph became son by law, through his wife Mary; and as a female's genealogy could not be inserted in a public register, Mary's descent is given in that form, viz., by her husband, Joseph, the heir and son-in-law of Heli.†

In all these records the Holy Ghost, who glorifies Christ, had in view whatever might bear upon Him in whom all families of the earth are blessed.

Ver. 36, 37, 38.-"And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad, and Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed, and Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah."

In the names, Nathan, "gift," and Zabad, "dowry," we may perceive the same spirit that led Leah to call her son, Simeon, because the Lord has heard"—the names are a recognition of God's hand in the blessing of a son. Attai seems

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to say, The Lord has given me my son;" and Nathan says (as Leah, Gen. xxx. 20), "The Lord hath endowed me with a good dowry," and thus he called his son "Zabad," the same as Zabdi in Josh. vii. 1, and the "Zebedee" of the New Testament.

* This interesting case is more fully brought out in a pamphlet, “On the Genealogies contained in the Gospels of St Matthew and St Luke," by William Beeston, Queen's College, Cambridge. 1842.

It is thought that on the same principle we may explain the fact that one evangelist (Matthew) gives Salathiel's father as Jeconiah, while another (Luke) speaks of him as having Neri for his father. It was on the mother's side that he was related to Neri, and being son-in-law to Neri, was, by this peculiarity of Jewish law, reckoned as if he had been his real son.