65. Nephish is used as follows:

(1.) It is to be understood in the sense or person, and is sometimes so translated. All the souls (persons) that came down to Egypt were seventy souls. The number of your persons, (same word in the Hebrew.) That soul (person) shall be cut off from his people. If a soul (person) sin. Ex. i. 4, 5; xvi. 16; xxxi. 14; Lev. vii. 20; iv. 1; v. 1, 2, 4, &c., &c.

(2.) More commonly the word soul is equivalent to self, so that my soul, thy soul, &c., is the same as myself, thyself, &c. A ransom for his soul, is a ransom for himself. To afflict one's soul, is to afflict himself. It is sometimes so rendered in our version. Nearly allied to this usage is that which makes it equivalent to the personal pronouns, I, thou, he, she, &c. Our soul is dried away, means we are dried away. To bind his soul or her soul, is to bind him or her. Ex. xxx. 12, 15, 16; Lev. xvi. 29; Num. xxx. 13; xi. 6; xix. 13.

(3.) The word has the sense of life, and is so rendered. Who sought thy life. Life for life. The blood is the life, &c. Ex. iv. 19; xxi. 23; Lev. xvii. 11.

(4.) The term is once or twice translated mind, and may have that meaning. Deut. xxviii. 65.

(5.) The phraseology" with all thy heart and with all thy soul," is to be regarded as a strong mode of expressing emphasis, without conveying any distinct idea of what is meant by the soul. Deut. iv. 29; vi. 5; x. 12; xi. 13, 18, &c.

The above are but few examples out of the many, where this word occurs; but they are a fair specimen, and its meaning would not be any more obvious, were we to quote every passage where it is found.

SECTION IV.—MALAK.

66. This term occurs several times, and here, as in Genesis, it is applied, first, to a divine messenger, and is then rendered angel; and second, to a human mes

senger. In some instances there may be a doubt to which class the passage may belong.

(1.) Divine beings are denoted. The angel of the Lord that went before the children of Israel in their progress to Canaan. Such was the angel that appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Such was the divine messenger that communicated with Balaam, to whom reference is made not less than ten times in one chapter. Ex. xiv. 19. xxxii. 34; xxxiii. 2; Num. xx. 16; Ex. xxiii. 20, 23; iii. 2; Num. xxii.

(2.) The term is applied to human beings. Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom to solicit permission to pass through his country. The original is the same as before. The translators have distinguished between these two senses of the term, by translating it angel in the one case, and messenger, in the other. Moses also sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with a similar object. So Balak sent messengers to Balaam. Num. xx. 14; xxi. 21; xxii. 5; xxiv. 12.

I

67. This term is applied in some instances in the Scriptures to inanimate objects; and there may be some doubt whether that should not be the application in some places where it occurs in the Pentateuch. For example, Ex. xiv. 19, reads thus: "And the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them." would be inclined to regard the angel here referred to as the cloud only, and that the last half of this verse repeated the sense of the first half- a not uncommon instance of style among the Hebrews-if it were not that there are other and frequent references to an angel that is said to have accompanied the Israelites through the wilderness, where a reference to a divine being is too plain to be mistaken. I conclude, therefore, that the same angel is had in view in this passage.

68. Some may be inclined to think that Moses, and afterwards Joshua, may be the angel referred to in some of these passages. We know the term might apply to them, as to other human beings; and receiving a divine appointment to go before the people and lead them into Canaan, they might, with strict propriety, be called angels of the Lord. But I find the angel of the Lord spoken of in connection with Moses, and plainly distinguished from him. The Lord said to Moses, "Go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee. Behold mine Angel shall go before thee." Ex. xxxii. 34. The angel here referred to is evidently the one that communicated with Moses, and spake in the name of the Most High, of which we read in numerous instances. Ex. xiv. 19; xxxii. 34; xxxiii. 2.

SECTION V.-SHEOL.

69. This term is found in this part of the Bible only three times, twice in speaking of Korah and his company, and once in a highly figurative passage in announcing the destruction of the nation for their sins. In the one passage it is rendered pit, and denotes the pit into which Korah and his company were swallowed up; and in the other the translation is hell. Num. xvi. 30, 33; Deut. xxxii. 22.

70. It is superfluous to adduce arguments, with a view to prove that there is in these passages no allusion to a spirital existence, either of happiness or of misery. In the one instance men went into sheol bodily, with all that appertained to them, houses and goods, &c. In the other, the fire that burnt to the lowest hell, was to consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. All the imagery is physical and earthly, and can have no reference to a spiritual existence.

SECTION VI.-OLIM.

71. This word occurs very frequently in this part of the Bible. We will divide the instances into classes, and give some examples of each class, and append a sufficient number of references.

(1.) This term is used, more commonly than in any other way, to denote the continuance of the Mosaic institutions. The Hebrews were to inherit Canaan forever. The statutes of the law were to be perpetual. So we read of the everlasting statutes and the everlasting covenant and the everlasting priesthood, &c., &c. Ex. xxxii. 13; xxix. 9; Num. xix. 10; Ex. xxxi. 16; Lev. xvi. 29; Num. xviii. 11; Lev. xvi. 34; xxiv. 8; Ex. xl. 15.

He

(2.) The term is used with reference to Deity. His name Jehovah was to be his memorial forever. was to reign forever and ever. He lives forever. We

read of his everlasting arms. Deut. xxxii. 40; xxxiii. 27.

Ex. iii. 15; xv. 18;

(3.) There are some promiscuous examples that may be named separately.

The Hebrews are told that they would no more see their enemies forever. The Lord would have the people believe Moses forever. A city laid in ruins would be a heap forever. The Amorite and Moabite were excluded from the congregation of the Lord, unto the tenth generation, forever, &c. Ex. xiv. 13; xix. 9; Deut. xiii. 16; xxiii. 3.

72. On the usage of this word we may offer the following brief remarks. First, it was obviously the strongest term to express duration the Hebrews had. Hence they employ it when they would express_the greatest duration of which they had any idea. It is employed to describe the attributes of Deity; and when they said a city should be destroyed forever, or that they would not again see their enemies forever, they evidently meant to assert these things in the strongest possible manner.

Secondly, in none of these passages is there any allusion to another world. The duration expressed is, therefore, temporal duration alone. That they regarded their institutions as limited, we cannot say. Prob

ably they did not. More probably they did not extend their ideas far enough to comprehend the question of their ultimate termination. Still we know their institutions were limited. God knew, from the first, that they would be so; and yet the term under consideration was often used to express their duration by God himself. Hence we may conclude that the term does not express unlimited duration.

Thirdly, the duration expressed by this term is limited by other phraseology, commonly by the language "throughout your generations." It is also limited by obvious facts. The priest could not do the duties of his office any longer than life. The servant could not serve his master any longer than till death.

73. We may add that there are other words and expressions in the Hebrew language used to denote duration besides the one under review.

(1.) One of them is tamid.

This word is sometimes rendered always, sometimes perpetual, once or twice ever, but more commonly continual or continually. Ex. xxviii. 29, 30; xxix. 38; Lev. xxiv. 1, 3, 4, 8; Num. iv. 7; Num. xxviii. 3, 6, 10, 15, 23, 24, 31; Num. xxix. 19, 22, 25, 28, 34, 38. This word is sometimes qualified like olim by the phrase "throughout your generations." "Day by day" is used as its synonym. It is also used as synonimous with olim. Ex. xxix. 38, 42; Lev. xxiv. 3.

(2.) The Hebrew word ad is sometimes used to express duration, either alone or in conjunction with olim, and is rendered forever. Num. xxiv. 20. 24; xxviii. 9.

In Ex. xv. 14, it is used with olim and rendered forever and ever. The first forever is olim, the last is ad. (3.) The phrase kol yamim (literally all days) is