reality Moses's 31 brother-in-law, tho cuftomarily, or by an Ellipfis, call'd his father-in-law; but fays that, in his own time, brothers-in-law us'd to be fil'd fathers-in-law. However that were, the circumftances I have inftanc'd, do fufficiently prove that this was the cafe of HOBAB; over and above his going up with the children of Ifrael, and obtaining large poffeffions among them, for his pains and fervices. XXIX. ERE I make out this laft point, it will not be amifs to give an example, into what intricacies and labyrinths the moft learned Critics are apt fomtimes to throw themselves, by taking any thing for granted; or being born away, as by a violent ftream, with popular prejudices. Paffing over the dotages of Bigots, and the fubterfuges of Hypocrites, I fhall pitch upon a great man indeed, and one that I fhall always reckon fuch, tho he differs from me in this whole affair. But I fhall never make an agreement with my own notions, to be the measure of other men's abilities: being likewife fully perfuaded, that whoever is guilty of this mean and envious practice, pleases none but the like narrow-foul'd creatures with himself. Monfieur LE CLERC, whofe critical Commentaries I have juftly commended above, believes the Cloud to have been miraculous (contrary to the heretical difpofition imputed by hist adverfaries) and takes it for granted that JETHRO and HO BAB, if not RAGU EL, were one and the fame man. This involves him in great difficulties, out of which he finds no iffue, but by faying that the requeft of Moses to HOBAB 31. Πενθερον αυτον κεκληκεν, ὡς της γαμετης αδελφον : και γαρ νυν πολλοι τους τοιουτους πενθεράδες καλασιν. Quaeft. 3. in Fudic. E 4 for for guiding the Ifraelites (evidently inconfiftent with the miraculous Pillar) is not only mifplac'd Num. 10. in the book of Numbers, but ought even to be 29, l carry'd back over the belly of Leviticus, and plac'd between the 26th and 27th verfes of the 18th pter of Exodus. I fhall not infift on what he formerly objected himself, with fo much wit, to the loofe fcrolls of Father SIMON: but barely fay, that, by indulging this practice, every thing may be made of any thing in the most fenfelefs book in the world; and the contents of the best book, be render'd on a level with the worst. I take this tranfpofing to be well-meant zeal in others, who are fincere in thus proceding, as Monfieur LE CLERC in particular; but in me I own it wou'd be both criminal, and profane; criminal, in ufing any book fo, where I was certain it did not need it, but purposely to serve a turn; and profane, in jumbling a facred book, after a manner I fhou'd efteem ridiculous in the most trivial performance. The words of this learned man (left I fhou'd be thought to charge him wrongfully) are as 32 follows. Thefe circumstances, had the feries of times and things been obferv'd, fhou'd be join'd with thofe that are contain'd in the 18th chapter of Exodus, and be inferted after the 26th verfe: for it does not feem probable that old HOBAB, or REHUEL, came twice to the camp 32. Hae circumftantiae, fi ordo temporis et rerum fervaretur, debuiffent conjungi cum ijs, quae habentur Exod. 18, et quidem poft verfum 26 inferi: non videtur enim fenex CHO BABUS, aut KEHUEL, bis veniffe in caftra Hebraeorum, et bis abijffe. Haec quoque illi dixiffe videtur MOSES, antequam fciret Nubem perpe-> tuam fore ducem Ifraelitis: neque enim quae habentur verfu 31, confiftere poffunt cum ductu Nubis. Nifi Deus Ifraelitis per Arabicas folitudines dux viae fuiffet, utilis ei futura erat hominis locorum periti opera: fed cum loca caftris capiendis fignaret Nubes, alio viae duce non indigebant Ifraelitae. Ad cap. 10. Num. verf. 29. of of the Hebrews, and departed twice from thence. Befides that MOSES feems to have spoken these things to him, before he knew that the Cloud was to be a perpetual Guide to the Ifraelites: for the contents of the 31ft verfe, can no way confift with the guidance of the Cloud. Indeed if GOD had not Show'd the way to the Ifraelites thro the Arabian defarts, the help of a man, well acquainted with thofe places, must have prov'd very useful to them: but Jeeing the Cloud did regularly mark the places fit for pitching their camps, the Ifraelites flood in need of no other Guide to point out the way to them. Our System is fubject to none of thefe difficulties. RAGUEL never came to the camp of the Ifraelites, JETHRO came once, and Ho BAB always accompany'd MOSES. XXX, BUT leaving the excufe Monfieur LE CLERC makes for the forefaid paffage, fuppofing it originally part of the book of Numbers, to the Ad cap. 10: reader's judgment; I come now to fhow, that ver. 30. HOBAB and his family proceded with the Ifraelites towards the land of Canaan. The offer that MOSES made him was too temting to be refus'd, and we have all imaginable reason to fuppofe, that he gladly accepted the favor. I grant there's no further occafion of mentioning him on the way; but, after the fettlement of the Ifraelites in Canaan, we find, according to the ingagement of MOSES, ample provifion made for the family of HOBAB by name: a family in high repute, injoying large territories, and eminently zealous for the Jewish Law. They were call'd Kenites, but not to be confounded with the old Cananean Ke- Gen. 15. nites, to fome of whofe poffeffions it may be they 19 fucceded. The fift time we meet with the Midianitifh Kenites, is in the book of Judges, and in these words. The children of the Kenite, Moses's Jud. 1. 16. father Num. 24. 21. father-in-law, went up out of the city of Palm-trees, with the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Fudah, which lyeth in the fouth of Arad, and they went and dwelt among the people. The diverse acceptations of father-in-law having been explain'd before, the question now turns upon this: who as the immediate flock of the florifhing branchesof the Kenites? and this is fully anfwer'd in the Ibid. 4.11. fame book of Judges. HEBER the Kenite, which was of the children of HOBAB, the father-in-law of Moses, bad fever'd himself from the Kenites, and pitch'd his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which ver. 17. is by Kedefh. A little after you read, that there was peace between JABIN the King of Hazor, and the house of HEBER the Kenite: wherby it appears how potent the pofterity of HOBAB became, in confequence of the rewards promis'd him by MOSES; when one branch of them was fo confiderable, as to enter into treaty with a Prince, Ibid. ver. 3. who had nine hundred chariots of Iron. By the way, it was the wife of this HEBER, by name JAEL, who murder'd SISERA the general in his fleep; notwithstanding he came for fhelter to her tent on her own invitation, that fhe had refrefh'd him with food, and that he ought to expect all fecurity from the peace establish'd between his mafter JABIN and her husband HEBER. Some of thefe Kenites liv'd among the Amalekites, which laft when SAUL had refolv'd to root out, he 1 Sam. 15. faid unto the Kenites, go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites left I deftroy you with them for ye show'd kindness to all the children of Ifrael, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. The obligation of fhowing the way thro the wilderness, was never to be forgotten, as certainly it ought not. They are mention'd again twice 2 Kings 8. 15, 16. twice in the first book of SAMUEL, from which Ibid. 27.10. nith :: |