CHAPTER XXXV.

THE POETICAL BOOKS OF THE BIBLE.

These consist of five books: Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomon's Song.

Job.-The book of Job is remarkable as the most ancient book in the world, except the book of Genesis. The person whose trials and experience it depicts, was a resident of Idumea, the rocky district between Arabia and Palestine. He is supposed by the Hebrew writers to have been the Jobab, or Job mentioned in Genesis xxxvi. 33, and was certainly a patriarch. If identical with Jobab, he probably lived about the time of Moses, as the old Latin Vulgate quotes a passage from the Syriac, which states that Job was the son of Zerah, of the posterity of Esau, and that he dwelt in Bozrah.

The Temanites were descendants of Teman, grandson of Esau, Genesis xxxvi., and the Shuhites of Shuah, son of Abraham.

Job is universally mentioned as an example of patience, and was probably one of the few great religious teachers, who were found in the world, apart from Moses, and other devout descendants of Jacob.

Subject of the book. This book is divided into forty-two chapters, of which only the first two and the tast relate to Job's early trials and losses, to his perlecution by Satan, and to his restoration afterwards so a position of great honour, wealth, and happiness.

The greater part of the book is occupied with the discourses of his friends, three of whom state their belief that Job is thus afflicted, because of his sinfulness and hypocrisy, against whom Job defends himself, but is more successfully defended by his younger friend Elihu the Buzite.

Jehovah speaks to Job out of heaven, and reproves him and his friends for their ignorance and presumption, and expressing his anger with the three elder friends of Job, declares that they can only be restored to his favour by the prayers of Job, whom they had injured.

Psalms. The book of Psalms is so called, because it is a collection of sacred poems, many of which were written to be sung in the Temple worship, with instrumental music. They are one hundred and fifty in number, and one hundred and sixteen of them have some title prefixed, which shows the design with which, or the occasion upon which, it was written. Some of these titles are untranslated in our Bible, because we are ignorant of the musical terms then in use among Jewish families and the choristers of the Temple.

The Authors.-The Psalms were written by various authors; David wrote seventy-two; Asaph, who was chief musician to David, wrote twelve, while others were written by Heman, Jeduthun, Etham, and Moses.

The Psalms from cxx. to cxxxiv. inclusive, are called Psalms or Songs of Degrees, or marching songs, and were sung by the Jews at various places on their way up to the Temple worship at Jerusalem, during the Great Feasts.

How or when written.-The Psalms were for the most part written, in celebration of some remarkable event. Thus we find the eighteenth was composed as a psalm of praise when God had delivered David from Saul; the thirtieth as a hymn of dedication for his new palace; the thirty-fourth when he escaped from Abimelech or Achish the Philistine; the fifty-first, after David's reproof by Nathan, the fifty-second when Doeg the Edomite informed Saul against Abi

melech the priest, the fifty-fourth, fifty-seventh, and fifty-ninth, when he was in danger from the persecu tion of Saul; the ninetieth is remarkable as a prayer of Moses the man of God.

Proverbs. This book consists of a series of proverbs or wise sayings containing counsels for the young, suited to all conditions of life, and containing profound wisdom, such as might be expected from Solomon, the wisest of men, who wrote three thousand proverbs.

The book contains thirty chapters, the first nine of which are filled with the wise and affectionate counsels of a father-and which direct young people to seek happiness in connection with wisdom, that is to say, religion, or the fear of the Lord. Other chapters contain numerous wise precepts for the use of heads of families, and rulers of states.

Ecclesiastes. This word signifies the preacher; the book was written by Solomon, near the end of his life, and is intended to warn people against trusting in earthly things, and from looking to them for happiness, shewing true religion to be the only safe path for those who seek real happiness.

The Song of Solomon.-Various opinions have been given as to the occasion on which this book was written, but most writers think, that as it is divided into seven parts, it was composed for a marriage ceremony, and very likely that of Solomon himself with the daughter of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XXXV.

What are included in the poetical books?
What is said of the book of Job?

Where did Job live? Who was he?

What part of the book refers to his history?

Which was the wisest?

Who were his friends?

What is the number of the Psalms?

By whom were they written?

What is said of those from one hundred and twenty to one

hundred and thirty-four?

When was the eighteenth composed?

Name the occasious of the thirtieth and fifty-second.

By whom was the ninetieth composed?

Who wrote the book of Proverbs?

What is contained in the chapters one to nine?

What does the word Ecclesiastes signify?

By whom was this book written?

What other book did Solomon write?

How is Solomon's Song divided?

How long did a Jewish marriage feast last?
Who was Solomon's first wife?

CHAPTER XXXVI,

THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS.

The original Jewish scriptures consisted of the Law, contained in the Pentateuch, and the prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi.

Of these prophecies the author of the epistle to the Hebrews says that, "Holy men of God spake as they were moved or directed by the Holy Ghost."

Many portions are hard to be understood, but all are to be received with reverent faith as the word of God.

Frequent references are contained in the prophets to the various historic events of the time, but always with special relation to the Jews, and often to the coming of the expected Messiah.

The prophetical books are sixteen in number. Four of these-Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel-are called greater prophets.